Workers at Jordan's Red Sea port of Aqaba have downed tools to protest against poor safety precautions after 13 people died and hundreds were injured in a chlorine gas leak at a major berth.
Trade unionists told Reuters that workers had embarked on the industrial action on Sunday, following the 13 deaths and injuries to more than 300 workers last Monday after a crane loading chlorine containers on to a ship dropped one on to the quay, causing it to explode.
"We are committed to the stoppage until our demands to provide the right industrial safety environment (are met)," said Ahmad Amayra, a leading unionist, who said hundreds of workers had not shown up for work in the main port facilities.
A port representative confirmed to Reuters that the work stoppage was taking place but did not comment further on the incident.
Industry experts say the incident could have turned into an even bigger disaster had dozens of workers ending a shift not left the site moments before the leak occurred. Fortunately, winds also blew the toxic gas away from populated areas in the port city to the outlying desert.
Government officials said the incident had exposed major negligence by the management of the country's sole commercial port, where industry sources had long warned that safety measures were insufficient.
Jordan’s King Abdullah said he was awaiting the results of an investigation that was being conducted by the Prosecutor General.
"We have to focus on the investigation and to see which officials – by either being idle or negligent – did not upgrade standard operating procedures," he told officials on Thursday.
Aqaba port is a major transit route for Iraqi cargo and a gateway for certain goods en route to Syria and Palestine territories.
