Basra labor union condemns worker injury, vows legal action against employer

BASRA — The Basra Federation of Labor Unions condemned what it described as a “tragic incident” in which a worker lost both arms at a construction site, blaming the employer for “disgraceful neglect” and pledging to pursue legal, administrative, and media action against those responsible.

“While we affirm that workers are the backbone of every project and the pillar of development in our country, we express our strong condemnation and deep anger over the painful incident that occurred at a work site in Basra Governorate, which led to the amputation of the upper limbs of one of the poor workers,” Federation President Ahmed al-Khafaji said in a statement. He accused the contractor of “shirk[ing] his moral, legal, and humanitarian responsibilities toward the worker.”

A spokesperson for the union told 964media that the 35-year-old worker “was working on the facade of a building in the Al-Zubair district of Basra Governorate in February when he fell.” The spokesperson said the employer “failed to provide any occupational health and safety measures or proper work gear, and did not take precautions to shut off electricity or transmission lines near the building.” The worker “was electrocuted after the fall and suffered severe injuries that led to the amputation of both arms.”

The union said the worker had not been registered under social security or health insurance. His family filed a complaint against the contractor, who was detained briefly during the initial investigation but later released on bail. “The case was first handled by a regular investigative court, which is not the proper jurisdiction,” the union said. “The complaint should be under the Labor Court. The Basra Federation of Labor Unions has now filed a lawsuit there, and we will continue to seek the worker’s rights.”

Al-Khafaji called the incident “a complete crime against the working class and a mark of shame on anyone who views the worker as merely a production tool without a soul or rights.” He said the union would pursue the case “to the end—judicially, administratively, and through the media.”

He warned that “silence over such crimes has ended,” adding that the federation “will not tolerate any party that disregards a worker’s life or fails to provide occupational safety conditions, compensation rights, and health care.”

The union urged government and regulatory authorities to “immediately assume their responsibilities, open an urgent and comprehensive investigation into this incident, hold those responsible accountable, and impose the maximum legal penalties on anyone found guilty or negligent.”