Unsafe working conditions kill over 30 laborers in Kurdistan Region in seven months

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 30 construction workers have been killed at workplaces due to unsafe working conditions during the first seven months of the year, a workers’ syndicate announced on Thursday.

“Every year, tens of workers lose their lives while working, but in recent years we have tried to ensure most of the safety conditions for workers," said Hangaw Abdullah, head of the Kurdistan Workers’ Syndicate.

Between January 1 and July 31, 32 domestic and foreign workers have died in the Kurdistan Region, according to Abdullah. 

He complained that deceased workers with social insurance leave their families with some sort of financial support, calling for a similar privilege for families of workers who die without insurance.

The work-related fatalities in the course of the past seven months are as the following; seven deaths and a similar number injuries in Erbil, six fatalities and 13 injuries in Sulaimani, seven deaths and one injury in Duhok, with the rest of other fatalities occurring in other towns and areas of the Kurdistan Region. 

Workers in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq often face unsafe conditions, as many employers do not sign contracts with their employees to avoid providing safety conditions. Workers who suffer accidents frequently lose their only source of income. Weak enforcement of labor regulations often leaves workers without protective gear or adequate training.

According to the syndicate, a total of 62 people lost their lives in 2024 on the job in the Kurdistan Region, including 52 domestic and 10 foreign workers, and 25 other workers were injured, including two foreign nationals. 

Under Iraq's Labor Code of 1987, Act No. 71, employers are required to ensure safe workplace conditions and implement sufficient measures to protect workers on the job.