Tallest building workers on strike

(CNN) -- A strike by construction workers in one of the world's fastest-growing financial centers stretched into a third day Monday, with workers in the United Arab Emirates demanding better pay and working conditions, police said.

About 2,000 workers in Dubai blocked the main highway to Abu Dhabi, worsening the traffic jams that are already a fixture in this booming economy. The number of striking workers was slightly fewer than in previous days.

Police said the workers attacked both civilians and police and that there were injuries on both sides, though they did not provide figures. Police said they responded only after the workers attacked them.

The strikes started Saturday when the workers -- some of whom are building the Burj Dubai, which will be the world's tallest structure when it is completed next year -- walked out in a disagreement over pay and working conditions.

Some workers are demanding a raise, while others say they haven't been paid at all.

Police said a government representative addressed the striking workers' grievances, but the representative denied this when contacted by CNN.

An official with Dubai's Labor Ministry was quoted by the state-owned news agency Saturday saying the workers had no problem with getting their salaries on time and that the government had agreed to address other issues, such as increasing transportation for the workers and providing "decent housing."

It was not clear what effect the strikes would have on construction of the Burj Dubai and other buildings in the port city. E-mail to a friend

-- CNN's Caroline Faraj contributed to this report.