Ahmed Al-Sulami and Abdulaziz Ghazzawi Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — A tripartite committee has been set up to tackle the current crisis resulting from the acute shortage in cooking gas with a view to finding a permanent solution. The setting up of the committee follows intervention from Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal Bin Majed. The committee comprises representatives from the ministries of commerce and labor in addition to the governorate. The crisis, which has hit Jeddah hard for the past three weeks, is soon expected to be over with more than 185 gas trucks to be loaded with cylinders of various sizes and distributed every day, according to officials of the Gas and Industrialization Company (GASCO). Abdul Moneim Al-Shihri, director of the labor office in Makkah Province, said the shortage of cooking gas was not caused by a shortfall in production but rather by a labor dispute between the staff and management of the company. He said all 19 employees who had been sacked during the dispute have been reinstated in their positions and their outstanding wages would soon be paid to them. Salman Bin Mohammed Hassan Al-Habashi has been relieved from his post as GASCO's managing director. Iyas Bin Sameer Al-Hajri has been appointed in his place. About 80 trucks loaded with gas cylinders arrived at the distribution points in Jeddah on Tuesday, signaling the beginning of an end to the crisis that threatened to close down scores of restaurants in the city. Residents have been queuing at the gas distribution points for long hours to refill their empty cylinders, whose price has soared to SR100 or more on the black market. Al-Shihri, who visited the company's headquarters on Tuesday with a team from his office, said many labor violations were recorded against the company. “The company has, however, promised to set the record right and pay its staff their salaries and other emoluments retrospectively,” he said. A company source who did not want to be identified said work in the company would continue until 3 a.m., with 180 trucks being loaded with gas cylinders every day. He confirmed that following observations from the labor team the company has reinstated the sacked employees and is endeavoring to improve the working atmosphere.
