Protestors blockade gas producer's offices in Tunisia

Protesters have blockaded employees inside offices of Tunisia’s largest natural gas producer, Britain’s BG Group, and disrupted its operations.

The action escalated a weeks-long stand-off and prompted the company to threaten today to shut down operations.

BG Group’s Tunisia branch appealed in a statement to Tunisian authorities to find a solution to end sit-ins and other action by local residents at the company’s offices in the southern town of Nakta.

The residents have been pressing the company to hire from the local population instead of bringing in staff from elsewhere.

Frustration over unemployment was at the heart of protests that brought down Tunisia’s long-serving president in January, setting off anti-government uprisings around the Arab world.