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Kurdistan
Labourers work on a Sulaimani construction site on May 1, 2021, International Workers’ Day. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — On International Workers’ Day, workers in the Kurdistan Region say they labour without job security or safety measures.
Bahman Muhammad was hard at work on a construction site on May 1, a holiday in many countries. But for thousands of workers in the Kurdistan Region, taking the day off would mean losing money as they work on a daily wage, with no contracts.
“What we have as workers is our strength. If that fails us at some point, we are done and no one will ever care to check on us,” he told Rudaw’s Horvan Rafaat on Saturday.
“No one comes and asks us why we do not use safety measures such as protective hats and belts,” he added.
In the first four months of 2021 alone, 10 workers have died because of accidents at their work place and more than 55 have been injured, according to data from the Kurdistan Workers’ Syndicates’ Union. In 2020, 35 people died in workplace accidents.
Many companies do not sign contracts with their employees, a way to avoid installing safety measures.
“Only 20 percent of companies have signed contracts with their workers, while around 80 percent of workers have not received any contract from their employers, which are meant to provide them with safety at the work place,” said Chalak Rauf, head of the Sulaimani branch of the union.
Workers who suffer accidents often lose their source of income.
Karwan Ali, a general labourer, broke his back in a workplace accident three months ago.
“I have not been able to work and have been in bed all the time. No one has given me any compensation,” he said.
“I have a seven-month-old child who I cannot hold in my arms. I cannot even lift 2 kg of fruits,” Ali added.
Kurdish officials, sharing annual messages of solidarity with workers, promised to improve conditions.
“I congratulate workers of Kurdistan, Iraq, and the world on International Workers’ Day,” Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani tweeted on Saturday. “I emphasize the provision of all their rights.”
“Today, we reaffirm the Kurdistan Regional Government’s commitment to protecting workers’ rights and providing a suitable working environment that takes the safety and health of both public and private sector workers into consideration,” reads a statement by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani.
“We reassure our promise to continue our efforts towards providing better living conditions and a more deserving life for the dear workers of Kurdistan,” Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) co-chair Bafel Talabani said in a statement.
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