All the 223 oil workers at Shiwashok oil company in Kurdistan Iraq have begun an open-ended strike since 05:00 this morning, August 1, 2011, which has stopped the work of the entire field.
The workers who are resident of the area are suffering the lack of basic services like electricity and suitable paved roads to the workplace. They demand provision of electricity, building roads, equal working conditions with colleagues from other nationalities. The workers also demand some money from the profit of oil production, which is a portion of the oil income to be distributed to the population in the areas which have oil, this includes workers themselves.
Shiwashok is located in the city of Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan and is under the authority of the Kurdish regional government.
FWCUI support the strike of Shiwashok workers and we ask the management of the company to respond to their legitimate demands.We call upon all organizations, labor unions, and left-wing parties to support (Shiwashok) workers and their demands.
The Strength of the Labor Movement Lies on Its Unity and Organization...
Long live International Workers' Solidarity...
With regards:
Akram Nadir (Union Organizer in Iraq and Kurdistan)
International Representative of Federation of Workers' Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI)