Hundreds of port workers went on strike at Kuwait's three commercial ports on Monday demanding a pay hike and better working conditions.

Union leaders said the protest will continue daily 'until demands are met'.

Around 900 workers stopped work at the Shuaiba, Shuwaikh and Doha ports at 7.30am for a two-hour period before deciding to extend the protest new working conditions, said media reports.

'The response to the strike has been comprehensive and work was completely halted at the three ports,' the head of the ports trade union, Ali al-Sukoni, was quoted as saying.

'Workers are demanding a 35 per cent increase in their basic salary 'which has not been increased since 1977. They are also demanding a raise in incentives and better working conditions,' Sukoni added.

Meanwhile, a state oil refining company spokesman said the strike will not affect oil shipments and also 'there won't be any impact on the country’s production of over 2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude and fuel exports.'

“This is related to the commercial ports and not related to ports managed by the oil sector,” the spokesman at Kuwait National Petroleum Comapny (KNPC) said.

Kuwait has a 200,000 bpd refinery at Shuaiba but oil exports are shipped through a different port from the commercial operations, said the KNPC spokesman.