Khor Al-Zubair youth demand employment

KHOR AL-ZUBAIR — Dozens of youths protested Sunday at the General Company for Iron and Steel in Basra’s Khor Al-Zubair, demanding the job opportunities they were promised with the opening of new departments. Nizar Al-Eidani, a civil activist, said the company’s director had assured employment two months ago following the launch of a rolling mill, but these promises remain unfulfilled.

“Years ago, we protested and our demands were not met. This factory is within our administrative boundaries, and today nearly a thousand locals are unemployed,” Al-Eidani told 964media.

The protestors aired grievances towards the hiring of foreign labor, noting that workers from Jordan, Pakistan, and Iran are employed not only at this company but also at other local firms, while residents of Khor Al-Zubair are “overlooked.”

The protesters have sought a meeting with the company director, who has, they claim, repeatedly postponed it and remained unresponsive. Al-Eidani warned, “Next week, we will escalate our actions, setting up tents and blocking the roads to the company until our legitimate demands are addressed.”

Sadiq Ali Al-Musawi from the firm’s public relations office said, “We are working to meet the demands of the demonstrators, and there will be solutions soon to employ the unemployed as job opportunities arise within the company’s departments.”