‘All of us have families’: Earthlink drivers protest mass contract termination

BAGHDAD — Dozens of Earthlink drivers protested outside the company’s headquarters in Baghdad’s Al-Arasat neighborhood on Tuesday, denouncing the sudden termination of what they say are 200 driver contracts without prior notice. The drivers say the decision has left them in financial distress, particularly after they were instructed to upgrade their vehicles at their own expense.

“We are employees working as drivers for Earthlink. Many of us have been with the company for years,” said Hisham Fayzi, one of the protesters. “We were shocked to receive notice that our services were being terminated without any warning.”

Fayzi said drivers were told months ago to replace their vehicles with newer models. “Most of us bought new cars on installment plans to meet that request. Now we have no other jobs and can’t make the payments,” he said. “We should have been informed a month or two in advance. All of us have families and financial responsibilities.”

Another driver, Ali Talib, described their responsibilities. “Our job was to transport supervisors from home to the workplace and back,” he said. “This decision is unfair and poorly thought out. We’re calling for solutions — most of us rent our homes and have no alternative income.”

Earthlink, one of Iraq’s largest internet service providers, offers broadband, wireless, and enterprise services nationwide. Founded in 2005, the company has since expanded into IT services, data centers, and infrastructure projects, serving millions of users across public and private sectors.

The company has not issued a public statement regarding the protest and declined to comment when contacted by 964media.