Oil Workers’ Strike in Basrah – update

The workers of the Oil Pipelines in Basrah have organized a strike which began on the morning of August 22^nd. It extended later to include other sectors of the industry such as the Gas Extraction sector. Moreover, the workers of Gas Production threatened to join the strike in addition to the workers of the South Oil Company.

The demands behind the strike were the following:

• Salaries increase and paying them in due time
• Paying their share of the annual incentive connected to profits
• Compensation of their unused annual leave to be paid immediately
• Equal opportunity to all workers in rewards and benefits
• Terminating bureaucratic conduct with the workers

Slogans of blaming the occupation for the crises were raised by the workers who repeated the necessity for the troops to leave.

We call out for you to support the strike of the oil workers in Basrah and their endeavors to have their justified demands met by the administration.

Some political forces attempted to highjack and take advantage of the demands of the workers for their own interests and objectives such as emphasizing on the division of the country based upon the federalism of the south. Their representative have prioritized this demand and was therefore alienated by the workers themselves.

At this time, the workers insist to have all of their demands met in full, otherwise the pipelines will not be opened and work will not continue.

Workers Media Center

Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq FWCUI

August 24, 2006