Medical officials say a Yemeni man, who was reportedly protesting a dispute with his Canadian employer, has set himself on fire outside the Cabinet building in the capital Sanaa.

The officials say Abdel-Hakim Hamoud Qasim is in critical condition after Tuesday's self-immolation. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters.

His cousin, Mohammed Qasim, says Abdel-Hakim was protesting a complaint he had filed to the Ministry of Petroleum against Calgary-based oil and gas company Nexen, which he worked for as a driver for 16 years until 2006.

Mohammed says his cousin was severely injured on the job in Yemen and only paid $3,000 after the accident.

Nexen could not be immediately reached for comment.

A similar act of self-immolation in Tunisia last year helped trigger a series of uprisings in Arab countries, including Yemen.