By Naom Alkhosi.
Tripoli, 13 July 2014:
The group of Petroleum Facilities Guards (PFG) who have been blockading Brega oil terminal for the . . .[restrict]past three days have said their demands must be satisfied before the blockade is lifted. They primarily concern pay and the reinstatement of the former commander of the PFG.
The protestors are specifically demanding that Idris Bukhamada be reinstated as commander of the PFG. He was replaced by Ali Al-Ahrash as part of a deal with Ibrahim Jadhran to settle the blockade of the terminals at Hariga, Zueitina, Sidra and Ras Lanuf. However, Bukhamada has refused to accept his replacement and the guards at Brega remain loyal to him. They claim that the decision to replace him had been reversed and must now be enacted.
The other demand revolves around money. Protestors are demanding the salaries of 600 guards who they say were never paid for the month of May 2013 while under the command of Bukhamada. Furthermore, they are demanding the salaries of guards contracted since that May, specifically for the months of June through October 2013.
They also claim that the companies contracted to provide cleaning, food service and construction for the PFG were never paid. They are demanding the obligations of those contracts be fulfilled.
Finally, the protestors want the establishment of a Petroleum Institute in Brega.
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