Streiks in der Ölindustrie

Mitte und Ende August 2006 entwickelt sich eine Streikbewegung in der irakischen Ölindustrie: die Beschäftigten der Pipelinegesellschaft haben ab dem 22. August einen Streik organisiert, dem sich am folgenden Tag die Beschäftigten der Gasfelder angeschlossen haben. Die (englische) Pressemitteilung "Strike of Basra Oil Workers" der Southern Oil Union vom 22. August 2006 mit einem Update vom 24. August 2006.

Strike of Basra Oil Workers

 Under the leadership of the Southern Oil Union, the Workers of Oil Pipes Company in Shoayba in the southern Iraqi city of Basra began a general strike at 8.00 AM on 22nd August 2006. The strike has completely paralysed pumping oil from all Iraqi ports in Basra.

This strike came after months of protests by workers against their working condition and low wages. The workers´ demands are as follow:

1.Wages must be paid in due time.
2.Overtime work must be paid
3.Increase workers’ allowances
4.Provide ambulances at working places to transfer sick workers to hospital when needed.

The government and its administrations have turned a blind eye to the demands raised by workers for months. Therefore the workers were forced to resort to the weapon of strike to impose their demands on the government and South Oil Company.

We call on all labour organizations, trade unions and all freedom loving people to support this strike and to exert pressure on the Iraqi government to meet the demands of Basra oil workers.

August 22,2006

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 22nd.  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 workersSlogans 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