As soon DP World, Aden-Dubai Company for Ports Development, announced officially last Thursday taking over management operations in Aden Container Terminal, the containers terminal workers started a comprehensive strike within the terminal premises. 

The strike comes in protest against what workers called the injustice they will be subject to after DP World assumed management responsibilities containers terminal, stressing they have no idea about their position in the agreement signed between DP World and the state-owned Gulf of Aden Port Corporation.

Sources mentioned that the comprehensive strike started as of last Friday and noted that it will continue until DP World responds to the demands of workers who have been serving there for years.

It was not easy for DP World to take over and administer the terminal as the deal it signed with Gulf of Aden Port Corporation faced a lot of criticism and was completely rejected by parliament.

Similarly, businessman Saleh bin Fareed Al-Sarimah, stakeholder and representative of Gulf and Kuwait Ports Company, challenged the results of bidding and allegedly claimed that there was corruption involved in the deal. Both parliament and Al-Sarimah see that there will be a conflict of interest between Dubai and Aden terminals run by the same company (DP World).  

For its part, DP World announced that taking over the management of Aden Containers Terminal will bring the number of terminals it runs to 46 in 26 different countries.

"The agreement includes the lease of both Aden Container Terminal and of nearby Ma'alla Container Terminal, and a commitment by the joint venture to invest around 220 million dollars in further developing the port," said the company's release.

Further, the agreement includes as well building a new 400-metre (yard) berth extension to Aden Container Terminal within the next five years. The capacity of the terminal, is now about 700,000 20-feet containers, and is expected to grow to 1.5 million by 2012.