Sulaimani trash collectors go on strike after not receiving government pay
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Mounds of garbage are accumulating on the streets of the city of Sulaimani, after the employees of the private companies the government employs to collect trash went on strike.
Workers at the three cleaning companies the municipality hired to collect the city’s trash are protesting after not being paid for three months by the Sulaimani municipality, strike representatives told Rudaw on Tuesday.
“We have suspended all work since 6:00 in the evening (on Monday),” Dana Issa, a spokesperson for Shkar cleaning company, told Rudaw’s Horvan Rafat on Tuesday.
“During the three months [of not being paid], we have provided for the departments as much as we could, as well as paid a month of salaries to the workers, the remaining two months we haven’t been able to pay it,” added Issa.
Three companies – Shkar, Harem and Khalid Shinki - have been hired to collect trash and clean Sulaimani, each responsible for a different portion of the city.
The Shkar Company alone, which has 350 workers, collects up to 200 tons of trash daily, according to its provincial director.
Another reason for striking cited by Abubakir Khwakaram Mohammed, Shkar’s director in Sulaimani province, is the large amount of money the company has to pay for insuring the vehicles the companies own.
“We have been asked to pay two billion dinars as insurance for our machines. Our machines are all owned and bought by the company. It has nothing to do with anyone else, especially the government,” said Mohammed. “This two billion dinars is a huge burden on the company, we can’t do it.”
Mohammed says they have spoken to the municipality many times to no avail, “the last thing is the boycott, so that they respond to us.”
Twana Kamal, the head of Sulaimani Municipality, said in a press conference on Tuesday that the money is ready but “the contracts are not, due to some problems that were later solved … and now what is left is the letter of credit.”
“They have decided to do that [strike] today. In my opinion, it wasn’t the right decision, because the issue is being solved,” added Kamal.
The official added that if the strike continues they will “hire workers and equipment from the project money” and have them clean the city.
Workers at the three cleaning companies the municipality hired to collect the city’s trash are protesting after not being paid for three months by the Sulaimani municipality, strike representatives told Rudaw on Tuesday.
“We have suspended all work since 6:00 in the evening (on Monday),” Dana Issa, a spokesperson for Shkar cleaning company, told Rudaw’s Horvan Rafat on Tuesday.
“During the three months [of not being paid], we have provided for the departments as much as we could, as well as paid a month of salaries to the workers, the remaining two months we haven’t been able to pay it,” added Issa.
Three companies – Shkar, Harem and Khalid Shinki - have been hired to collect trash and clean Sulaimani, each responsible for a different portion of the city.
The Shkar Company alone, which has 350 workers, collects up to 200 tons of trash daily, according to its provincial director.
Another reason for striking cited by Abubakir Khwakaram Mohammed, Shkar’s director in Sulaimani province, is the large amount of money the company has to pay for insuring the vehicles the companies own.
“We have been asked to pay two billion dinars as insurance for our machines. Our machines are all owned and bought by the company. It has nothing to do with anyone else, especially the government,” said Mohammed. “This two billion dinars is a huge burden on the company, we can’t do it.”
Mohammed says they have spoken to the municipality many times to no avail, “the last thing is the boycott, so that they respond to us.”
Twana Kamal, the head of Sulaimani Municipality, said in a press conference on Tuesday that the money is ready but “the contracts are not, due to some problems that were later solved … and now what is left is the letter of credit.”
“They have decided to do that [strike] today. In my opinion, it wasn’t the right decision, because the issue is being solved,” added Kamal.
The official added that if the strike continues they will “hire workers and equipment from the project money” and have them clean the city.