Many have been arrested in some Yemeni provinces, others are threatened to be fired and the homes of others are under siege after the Yemeni Labor Union started a widespread strike in protest against turning a deaf ear to the demands of the laborers.
According to the union leadership the strike has come off by 87 per cent, with some sectors registering a 100 per cent strike, particularly those in the Secretariat Capital.
President Saleh has ordered Prime Minister Ali Mujawar to resolve the problem and meet the demands of the union according to the effective laws and in the best interest of the country.
In his turn, the premier ordered the ministries of Civil Service and Insurance, Labor and Social Affairs and Finance to tackle the demands of the laborers.
Meanwhile, the union has accused the government of slowness in responding to the demands.
Deputy Head of the union Jamal Al-Sanabani said that they plan to sue those who illegally acted against and sent threats to striking laborers.
We held talks with the government several times but we reached nothing and it seems we will not agree on something in the best interest of the laborers, he said.
The government wants us to take to streets and burn tires but we never act like that, he said, adding the Yemeni laborers will continue their peaceful protest until they gain their rights.
We are now waiting for the outcomes of the governmental measures….if they are productive we will call off our strike, but if not, the protest will continue, he said.
The labor union is a national movement that never acts illegally. All what is seeking is to leave all laborers enjoy their full and legal rights, he concluded.