Driver of Suez Canal excavator hasn't been paid his overtime, didn't like becoming a meme

After Ever Given wedged in Suez Canal, excavator operator Abdullah Abdul-Gaw worked five days and nights without being paid overtime. While speaking to Insider, Abdul-Gaw said that on March 23 his boss h called him to report urgently as he was only excavator driver who was close enough. 28-year-old described “awe-inspiring” scene that faced him at work and said that he and his colleagues worked 21-hour days, barely sleeping and still h not received any overtime pay or recognition. 

Abdul-Gaw told media outlet that freeing Ever Given was an international effort, with winches, dredgers, tugboats and excavators. However, day ship got stuck, Abdul-Gaw said that Ever Given’s bow was lodged about six metres higher than where ship ought to have been floating. He said that ship’s stern was sitting on opposite bank and sideways ship was blocking all traffic. 

Abdul-Gaw explained that to approach base of vessel, he built a makeshift “bridge” from rubble he dug up, which allowed him to get closer. He said that while image of little excavator gave world meme fodder, situation he was stuck in was way less funny and more dangerous. 28-year-old revealed that he feared destabilizing ship and having it topple onto him. 

‘I was terrified…’ 

“I was terrified that ship might list too far to one side or or," Abdul-Gaw said. Furr, he went on to say that two more excavators arrived at scene a couple of days in, however, ir drivers were too apprehensive to do what Abdul-Gaw was doing. excavator operator said that two drivers just cleared away materials near base after he h dug it out. 

Abdul-Gaw undertook hours of digging, which was n followed by half-hour bursts of tugboats making an attempt to pull vessel. He said that when memes of his excavator h taken internet by storm, it me him so determined to prove that he can do this. However, he also ded that at that moment he didn’t know wher ship was going to come out or not, but it became a “personal mission” for him. 

As days passed, Abdul-Gaw said that he and his colleagues grabbed brief moments of rest in a barracks used by border guards working nearby. He said that his team got about three hours of sleep a night, and one night took only one hour. n, on March 25, Abdul-Gaw said that a specialised dredger boat joined efforts. And after three more days of combined efforts, y finally succeeded to release Every Given on March 29. 

‘It was an achievement’ 

28-year-old said that he and his colleagues were “half-de” by n. However, after seeing what y h done and minute y saw ship sailing off, it was like “tiredness evaporated” because of sense of achievement. But Abdul-Gaw said that he h barely been included in celebrations. 

He revealed that apart from a small ceremony held by one newspaper, he has received almost no official recognition for his role. He said that he was invited to ceremony where y honoured people who got ship out, but it was mainly for Suez Canal Authority employees, which does not include Abdul-Gaw since he works for a subcontractor. Abdul-Gaw said that although he felt like an afterthought, he will still look back on “extraordinary” days with pride as it was an “achievement” for him. 

(Image: AP/Facebook)