Shafaq News- Kirkuk

Kirkuk's Oil and Gas Syndicate on Sunday called on BP to give priority to residents in employment and secondary contracts related to the company's oil field development projects in the province.

BP has recruited engineering and technical staff from outside Kirkuk despite the availability of qualified local graduates and experienced workers, the syndicate indicatedin a statement. It also criticized the awarding of numerous secondary and logistics contracts to companies based outside the province, adding that Kirkuk bears the environmental and health impacts of oil operations, making it essential that residents receive priority for jobs.

The syndicate noted that it is closely monitoring recruitment procedures and the awarding of secondary contracts in BP's projects, warning of legal action and peaceful protests if the “erosion of the rights of local professionals continues.”

Urging the Oil Ministry and the Kirkuk provincial administration to require that at least 85% of jobs across all stages of the project be allocated to local workers, it called for official representation on the joint recruitment committee to ensure transparency and the use of its database of registered graduates during the hiring process.

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