Shafaq News- Basra/ Al-Anbar

Graduates and contract workers staged separate demonstrations in Basra and Al-Anbar on Thursday, demanding public-sector employment.

In Basra, engineering and petroleum graduates began a sit-in after about a year and a half of protests seeking jobs in the oil sector. Hassan al-Shawi, a representative of the graduates, told Shafaq News the latest escalation followed repeated protests under two successive governments without a clear solution to their demands.

The protesters gathered outside Basra Oil Company, the Oil Tanker Company and the Petroleum Products Company, preventing employees from entering the premises. They are seeking jobs that match their engineering, petroleum and scientific qualifications.

The protests also drew a security response. Al-Shawi reported that members of the Law Enforcement Forces assaulted protesters on the first day of demonstrations outside Basra Oil Company's gate, detaining several demonstrators and dispersing the gathering by force. Some protesters were injured, he added.

“The graduates plan to continue their sit-in until their demands are met,” Al-Shawi said, urging the government and oil-sector authorities to establish a mechanism for employing qualified graduates and make use of the skills available in the province.

In Al-Anbar, people included in the “Al-Anbar 5160” grievance file gathered outside the Provincial Education Directorate, seeking employment contracts and a resolution to their case.

The protesters informed Shafaq News that the file had received the required ministerial approvals but remained unresolved for more than a year and a half. They are demanding contracts for those listed in the file, citing their prolonged wait for employment.

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