IRAQ: Iraq South Oil workers storm offices demanding better pay, working conditions

Record ID: 344316

  • Title: IRAQ: Iraq South Oil workers storm offices demanding better pay, working conditions
  • Date: 16th April 2013
  • Summary: BASRA, IRAQ (APRIL 16, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES OF SOUTH OIL COMPANY CARRYING FLAGS AND CHANTING ANTI-COMPANY SLOGANS BANNER HELD BY PROTESTERS WRITTEN IN ARABIC, READING: "NO TO BAATH LACKEYS IN COMPANY MANAGEMENT" PROTESTERS STANDING OUTSIDE HEADQUARTERS OF SOUTH OIL COMPANY (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) EMPLOYEE OF SOUTH OIL COMPANY, MOHAMMED ALI, SAYING: "All employees of the oil fields in Basra, including south Rumaila oil field, north Rumaila oil field, Twaiba oil field and al-Nakhila oil field are taking part in the protest today to call for their rights. Firstly wages, then housing and thirdly the workers who came here to work have not taken up their positions yet." PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS AND CHEERING (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF SOUTH OIL COMPANY, DIAA JAAFAR, SAYING: "There is good news relating to this case that is being followed by the Prime Minister, deputy prime minster and the oil minister. I will update you the latest via the heads of departments. Today we made important steps taking advantage of the pressure by the Prime Minister to ratify the accounts, God willing this problem will be resolved soon." SECURITY PERSONNEL WAVING THEIR HANDS IN AIR AS PROTESTERS BREAK INTO HEADQUARTERS OF SOUTH OIL COMPANY VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS TRYING TO BREAK INTO SOUTH OIL COMPANY HEADQUARTERS PROTESTERS CHANTING: " The oil of the people is for the people not for the thieves" BANNER HELD BY PROTESTERS WRITTEN IN ARABIC, READING: "CORRUPTION AND THE CORRUPTED MUST BE EXPOSED, BROUGHT TO JUSTICE" VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS WAVING FLAGS, CHANTING WEST QURNA-2 OILFIELD, BASRA, IRAQ (APRIL 15, 2013) (REUTERS) PROTESTERS CARRYING BANNERS AND TRIBAL FLAGS TRIBAL LEADERS TAKING PART IN DEMONSTRATION CLOSE OF TRIBAL FLAGS PROTESTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SPOKESMAN FOR PROTESTERS, MIZHIR AL-RWEMI, SAYING: "We decided to block the entrance to the oil field and to prevent workers from entering the company. We will stay here in a peaceful sit-in for the next five or six days, but if we are ignored, nobody could stop us from breaking into the field, our sons are jobless. Our protest is peaceful as long as the government responds to our demands but it will not be peaceful if the government does not do so. " PROTESTERS CARRYING FLAGS AND MARCHING IN FRONT OF HEADQUARTERS OF LUKOIL COMPANY PROTESTERS WAVING BANNER PROTESTERS STANDING WITH POLICEMEN AT GATE OF LUKOIL COMPANY LUKOIL WORKERS BEING PREVENTED FROM ENTERING TO WEST QURNA-2 OILFIELD
  • Embargoed: 1st May 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Iraq
  • Country: Iraq
  • Topics: Economy,Politics,Energy
  • Reuters ID: LVAE2BR5FHGNF732LAJQAYVZ4SRQ
  • Story Text: Hundreds of workers at Iraq's South Oil Company protest and storm company offices in Basra demanding higher salaries and better working conditions.


    More than 1,000 employees of Iraq's South Oil Company demonstrated at the company headquarters in Basra on Tuesday (April 16) demanding higher wages and better working conditions.
    "All employees of the oil fields in Basra, including south Rumaila oil field, north Rumaila oil field, Twaiba oil field and al-Nakhila oil field are taking part in the protest today to call for their rights. Firstly wages, then housing and thirdly the workers who came here to work have not taken up their positions yet," said Mohammed Ali, an employee of the company in Basra.
    Iraq's energy installations still suffer from challenges, including sporadic attacks on oil pipelines and facilities.
    Earlier this month, gunmen attacked a contracting company in Iraq's Akkas gasfield, killing at least three local workers and kidnapping two more before burning their camp in the remote western desert.
    Diaa Jaafar, head of the South Oil Company, told protesters to put their case in the hands of officials.
    "Today we made important steps taking advantage of the pressure by the Prime Minister to ratify the accounts, God willing this problem will be resolved soon," said Jaafar.
    On Monday (April 15) hundreds of protesters had blocked the entrance to the country's giant West Qurna-2 oilfield, developed by Russia's LUKOIL, demanding job opportunities in a sign of the growing challenges that face foreign firms operating in the south of Iraq. .
    The demonstration, which was headed by local tribal leaders, saw more than 500 angry protesters gather at the main entrance on the field, where they blocked workers from entering the site.
    "We will stay here in a peaceful sit-in for the next five or six days, but if we are ignored, nobody could stop us from breaking into the field, our sons are jobless. Our protest is peaceful as long as the government responds to our demands but it will not be peaceful if the government does not do so," said Mizhir al-Rwemi, a spokesman for the protesters.
    Iraqi oil police officials said security measures were tightened around the oilfield to prevent protesters from rushing inside.
    Only last month hundreds of workers demanding jobs broke into West Qurna-2 oilfield, according to Iraqi police the protesters stormed offices, and smashed surveillance cameras at the oilfield.
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