Sanitation worker assaulted in Diwaniyah for confronting illegal trash dumping

DIWANIYAH — In a disturbing incident in Diwaniyah, the capital of Iraq’s Al-Qādisiyyah Governorate, a sanitation worker was violently assaulted after he confronted a citizen who was illegally dumping trash on the street.

The altercation occurred while Najm Abdul Bazoon, a municipal sanitation worker, was performing his duties. Aqeel Aziz, the head of the Fifth Municipal Sector, recounted the incident to 964media. “As usual, Najm began his work early in the morning, collecting garbage from the city streets, particularly in the market area. While he was cleaning one of the streets, he was surprised by a citizen dumping a large cart full of trash in the middle of the road. When Najm objected, asking, ‘Why are you dumping it here?’, he was unexpectedly hit on the face and body in an unprovoked attack.”

Following the assault, Najm was transported to the hospital for necessary medical attention and underwent the required examinations. A legal complaint has been filed against the assailant in hopes of securing justice for the attacked worker.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, Iraq generates approximately 30,000 tons of solid waste daily, but lacks the infrastructure to manage this waste adequately. Much of it ends up in unregulated landfills. Sanitation workers, who are often employed by municipalities across Iraq for low wages, are tasked with managing this overwhelming amount of waste.

In Iraq, workers across various sectors are voicing concerns about daily wages and workplace safety, as demonstrated in Karbala where municipal workers organized protests demanding fair salary structures and access to housing plots akin to those provided to other government employees. Ali Nasser, a municipal worker, highlighted the wage disparity, questioning, “Why should an employee earn 170,000 dinars ($128) when his counterpart in another institution receives 1.5 million dinars ($1138)?”

The Workers’ Union in Anbar recently opened a branch in Al-Qa’im district to advocate for workers in both Al-Qa’im and Al-Rumana cities, following reports of low daily wages ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 IQD ($4 to $8). This move came as a response to significant grievances expressed by private sector workers employed in markets and commercial warehouses regarding their compensation.

In early April, Erbil Municipality implemented a new tactic to combat environmental offenses. A driver caught littering on March 25 was ordered to work for three days with street workers in the Erbil market area, highlighting a unique approach to penalize environmental violations and promote conservation awareness.

Earlier this year, Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al-Sudani hosted a group of sanitation workers from the Baghdad Municipality for an Iftar Dinner during the holy month of Ramadan. The PM used this occasion to inquire “about the level of cooperation from the residents in maintaining cleanliness.” He emphasized that “contracts with specialized companies in this field are expected soon,” signaling potential improvements in the sector.