'No legal complaints filed'

Eight workplace fatalities in Garmiyan in 2024

2024-07-29 | 21:01

GARMIYAN, SULAYMANIYAH – Since the beginning of 2024, eight workers have died while working in the Garmiyan area, south of Sulaymaniyah governorate. The Kurdistan Workers’ Syndicate reports that families of the deceased did not file official legal complaints but instead reached tribal reconciliation with employers.

Adnan Mohammed, head of the Garmiyan branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Syndicate, told 964media, “From January this year until now, eight people have died while working in the Garmiyan area.” He noted that seven of the deceased were workers, while the other was an employee, basically a driver.

Regarding the rights of the deceased workers’ families, Mohammed mentioned that none of the families have approached the syndicate to file official complaints. “Instead, they settle matters through tribal customs with the employers. Without formal complaints, we cannot take any action in court,” he explained.

Tribal reconciliation, aimed at resolving conflicts between families outside the legal and judicial systems, often involves a process where the perpetrator and the victim’s families come to an agreement. This type of reconciliation typically results in the perpetrator being pardoned, while the victim’s family receives financial compensation from the perpetrator’s family.

“We urge any worker who faces injustice, be it working for more than eight hours or receiving insufficient wages, to file complaints with the syndicate. We fully support them and assure them that after filing a complaint, the employer cannot dismiss them without a legal reason,” Mohammed added.

From January to April 28, the Kurdistan Construction Workers’ Organization reported 19 worker deaths across the Kurdistan Region and one in Kirkuk Governorate, with the causes ranging from electrocution and building collapses to falls from heights and machinery-related incidents.

The organization attributed these fatalities to inadequate safety standards at workplaces, lack of protective equipment, and minimal safety training provided by employers.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Union noted an increase in worker fatalities, with 53 deaths in 2023, including 39 local workers and 14 foreign nationals, up from 41 in 2022.