Hoima International Airport workers strike over pay
- Written by URN
Workers at Hoima International Airport construction site in Kabaale, Hoima district have laid down tools to protest nonpayment of salaries for two months.
Construction of the airport is being undertaken by SBC Uganda in collaboration with Colas, a UK based firm.
The workers are also protesting the illegal dismissal of their friends and the harsh working environment they say they're being subjected to by the SBC management.
The strike come barely two weeks after workers of Shandong Taikai Power Engineering Company limited, which was contracted to erect a power line from Fort Portal to Hoima also staged a strike and blocked the Hoima Kaiso Tonya road.
They also accused their bosses of nonpayment of their salary. The SBC management couldn't be reached for a comment by the time of filing this story.
Hoima International Airport is one of the key projects being undertaken by government in preparation for oil production in the oil rich Albertine region.
Julius Hakiiza, the Albertine police region spokesperson, says they deployed at construction site to block workers from destroying property.
Once completed as scheduled in 2020, Hoima International Airport will be Uganda's second international airport after Entebbe.
The project is financed by Shs 1.3 trillion loan borrowed from the United Kingdom Export Finance (€270.2 million) and from Standard Chartered bank of London (€37.1 million) for the construction of the airport.