The 10th report of the Iraqi Observatory for Workers and Employees Rights
For the period of (the 1st of October – 31st of December 2022)
Contact Information:
E-mail Address: almrsdalraqy@gmail.com
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009647719892465
Website: https://almrsd-alaraqi.blogspot.com/
The Iraqi Observatory for Workers and Employees’ Rights continues to observe the violations and demonstrations on their last seasonal report for this year which its details can be summarized as follows: –
- The council of Ministers issues a municipal order to organize the work of syndicates
On 14\12\2022 the Council of Ministers sent their board order no. 60 for 2022 which included forming a supreme committee to coordinate between the council of ministers and the syndicates and unions established under special laws.
the Conference of Iraqi Confederations and Trade Unions, which includes seven unions and syndicates deplored the fact that it was not included in the list referred to or any of the member unions in the list that was pointed out by the board order which has included all the Iraqi workers syndicates and unions, demanding not to be demolished and to work with everyone in the same distance.
- Ministry of Electricity workers demonstrations
On 01\11\2022, there was a demonstration for the temporary contracts of the ministry of electricity employees in front of the council of ministers demanding permanent contracts.
On 09/11, there was a demonstration for the temporary contracts of the ministry of electricity employees in Dhi Qar governorate, demanding permanent contracts.
On 11/10, a number of the temporary contracts working in the complex electricity station of Al-Simawah have organized a protest demanding permanent contracts, pointing out that they have finished their contract period which allows them to have a permanent job. And some of them mentioned that their demands are focused on having permanent contracts just like the other ministries, confirming that they joined the rest of their peers to unite their lawful demands.
On 15/11, there was a demonstration for the temporary contracts of the ministry of electricity near Buniyah Mosque, demanding permanent contracts. - Demonstrations of the ministry of health workers
On 7/11, there was a protest for the health directorate workers of Wassit, demanding raises and promotions which have stopped for years. - Demonstrations of the workers in the ministry of oil
On18/10, the temporary contracts employees demonstrated inside the South Refineries Company, demanding permanent contracts.
On 6/11, there was a protest for the worker of the Gas Filling Company – Dhi Qar, demanding to be included in the land distribution.
On 8/11, there was a demonstration for a group of oil engineers in the middle of Baghdad, demanding specifying job positions within the budget of 2023.
On 9/11, the graduates of the oil institutions demonstrate in front of Basrah Oil Company, demanding job opportunities in the profit oil companies.
On 15/11, there was a demonstration for the workers of Midland Oil Company, demanding to count the educational degrees and land distribution.
On 3/12, there was a protest inside Karbalaa’ Refinery by the Iraqi workers, demanding to reject the foreign workers and to demand permanent contracts. - Demonstrations of workers in the Ministry of Industry
On 21/10, the employees of the alternative site came out in protest in front of the ministry of industries and minerals to recover their original lands which has been illegally given to the investor besides the violations on proposing the investment opportunity to build a complex to the employees of the General Company of Steel Industries.
On 31/10, there was a demonstration by the daily contracts of the ministry of industries after 10/2, demanding to receive their salaries and to convert them into temporary contracts according the decision of 315.
On 27/11, there was a demonstration by the temporary contracts of the ministry of industries, demanding permanent contracts in front of the ministry of finances.
On 18/12, the temporary and daily contracts in Najaf’s Clothes Sewing Factory organized a protest, demanding permanent contracts. - Demonstrations demanding job opportunities
On 23/10, dozens of graduates cut the main bridge in Nasiryiah, demanding jobs.
Demonstrations of the top graduates in front of the ministry of finance, demanding to update the government’s hiring positions.
On 7/11, dozens have demonstrated in front of Al-Shaa’bia Oil Refinery to Hyundai Company in Basrah Governorate, demanding jobs. One of the protestors mentioned that the refinery hired more than 5 thousand foreign workers without considering hiring the people of the governorate.
On 24/11, the daily contracts in the Municipality of Diwaniya protested in front of the governorate building, demanding to be converted to temporary contracts according to the decision of 315
On 28/11, dozens of graduates of the oil and gas economy college demonstrated in front of Maysan Oil Company, demanding to be included in jobs within the company and applying the instructions of the ministry of oil in 2018, which guarantees to them a yearly hiring percentage.
On 28/11, dozens of graduates of the Middle Technical University organized a walking protest, demanding jobs in Baghdad.
On 19/12, a public strike for the temporary contracts of the municipality of Basrah, demanding permanent contracts. And on 20/12, they organized a protest in front of Badra Province Governance Hall.
On 21/12/, the temporary contracts of the Municipality of Karbalaa’ Governorate protested, demanding permanent contracts
21/12, the temporary and daily contracts for the health and municipality and sewage directorates protested, demanding permanent contracts.
On 21/12, there was a demonstration for the daily and temporary contracts in Babylon – Alexandria, demanding permanent contracts.
On 22/12, there was a demonstration by the temporary contracts in Samawah municipality, demanding permanent contracts
On 28/12, there was a protest for the graduates of the Aviation Engineering in front of the ministry of transportation, demanding jobs. - Demonstrations of the workers in ministry of education directorates.
On 1/11, hundreds of unemployed educational graduatee and mangers demonstrated in front of the education directorate of Najaf, demanding to be justified and hired permanently in the ministry of education.
On 1/12, there was a demonstration by educational staff in front of the teachers’ syndicate in Karbalaa’ against the reoccurrence of assaults on the educational staff by some families. - Demonstrations of the workers in Higher Education Ministry
On 9/10, there was a protest by the educational temporary contracts after 2/10/2019 in front of the Green Zone, demanding permanent contracts.
On 27/10, there were demonstrations of the temporary contracts in the Higher Education Ministry in front of the Ministry of Finance, demanding permanent contracts.
On 31/10, there were demonstrations by the daily contracts of the higher education after 10/2, demanding to receive their salary and to convert them into permanent contracts.
On 9/11, there were demonstrations in front of the Higher Education Ministry of contractors after 2/10, demanding to be justified in the 315 decision.
On 18/12, there was a mobilizing demonstration for the temporary contracts of the Higher Education in front of the ministry building, demanding permanent contracts just like other ministries.
On 21/12, dozens have protested in front of the University of Basrah, demanding the daily contracts to be converted to temporary ones according the 315 decision. - Protests over salary delays
on 02/10 A vigil in the Khanqin district of Diyala governorate for cleaners at Cardin Company for delaying their salaries, reducing workers and removing about 40 workers from their work. On 2/10, there was a suicide attempt for one of the cleaning workers in a hospital in Kalar district of Sulimaniyah for not receiving his salary in over 3 months.
Demonstrations for a group of science workers in front of the Ministry of Finance, demanding receiving their salaries.
On 18/10, the daily and temporary contracts and municipality workers of Najaf demonstrated in front of the Municipality building, demanding permanent contracts and receiving their salaries and to count their educational degrees and to implement everything that was listed in the 315 decision. - Ministry of Transport Demonstrations
On 27/10, Iraqi Airways employees and crews come out of a peaceful demonstration inside Baghdad International Airport, demanding to save the company from corruption and random transference of employees outside the company without any reason.
On 23/10, there was a protest by the temporary contracts employees in the Iraqi Airlines, demanding to be justified and converted into permanent contracts.
On 18/12, there was a demonstration for the Iraqi Airlines temporary contracts in front of the Ministry of Transportation demanding permanent contracts.
Deaths and Injuries
| No. | Governorate | Month | Injuries | Deaths | Notes |
| 1 | Basrah | October November December | 1 1 4 | 2 1 | On 24/10, death of two workers in a demining company in Basra On 2/11, a worker of the sewage sector got injured in his left leg in Shatt Al-Arab On 5/12, the death of 1 worker and 4 other injured due to a gas leak in Al-Shaa’bia Refinery |
| 2 | Maysan | November | 5 | On 1/11, the death of workers due to falling in a sewage hole in Al-Au’fia | |
| 3 | Erbil | November | 4 | On 16/11, 4 workers were injured by an exploding mine while piping the sewage in Shaqlawa | |
| 4 | Al-Muthina | October | 1 | On 31/10, the death of a daily contract during his work | |
| 5 | Dhi Qar | October December | 3 | 1 3 1 | On 2/10, death of a Turkish worker due to falling off constructed building in Dhi War Oil Company On 22/10, the death of 3 workers and 3 other injured in a car accident while going to work in Shattrah District On 24/12, the death of the worker Hussein Aa’jel due to an electric shock in Al-Nasr district |
| 6 | Karbalaa’ | November | 2 | On 2/11, the injury of two workers due to an exploding tank fuel in Karbalaa’ Oil Refinery | |
| 7 | Salaa’Al-din | October | 1 | 3 1 | On 31/10, death of 3 workers and 1 other injured while falling down a sewage hole for Samaraa’ sewage project |
| 8 | Sulimaniyah | October December | 1 1 | On 19/10 death of the worker Shalar Talib after falling off the ladder in Chimechimal district On 22/12, death of the Architect Nina Hassan after falling down in a well for one of the real estate projects of Sulimaniyah | |
| 9 | Baghdad | November | 3 | On 18/11, injury of 3 workers due to a fire in Baghdad International Airport | |
| Total | 21 | 17 |
Iraqi observatory for workers and employees’ rights (Brief Summary)
Since the establishment of the Iraqi observatory for workers’ and employees’ rights in early 2020 by a group of syndicate activists, civil society activists, and defenders who believe in syndicate liberties and social justice, for what the workers and employees endure from injustice and violations by the hand of government and employers, also for what the political and union circumstances due to the lack of just laws that would protect workers and their syndicates which led to the regression of liberal syndicates. The observatory aims to observe, document, evaluate workers’ and employees’ rights, and create reports, studies and present them to interested parties regarding their findings, accompanied by suggestions and recommendations aiming to reinforce workers’ rights and syndicate’s liberties in the republic of Iraq in addition to providing moral and physiological support through providing counsel and studies to provide an appropriate working environment. It aims also to enforce democratic concepts by building peace to ensure the rights of these marginalized groups- The observatory does not consider itself to be a replacement for governmental institutes but a partner, since its members are part of society that inspires its sense of nationality and Sense of responsibility in growing society and maintaining its earnings and rights to determine the issues and place working solutions through the reports, hence deliver it to relevant parties as the observatory ensures positive approaches and non-violent methods of expressing opinions, condemning violations and demanding rights and non-violence and trespassing public and private properties ensuring the growth of social peace which is a necessary factor for an improved society
Observatory management
