Mosul dam workers end strike after promises of financial compensation
Shafaq News/ Employees at Mosul Dam have ended their strike after receiving assurances from the General Director of Dams and Reservoirs, Ali Radhi, and MP Latif Al-Warshan, that their financial entitlements would be secured.
A source at Mosul Dam informed Shafaq News Agency that the workers in the grouting section ceased their strike following promises from Radi and Al-Warshan to obtain approval from relevant authorities to release their meal allowances and bonuses.
Radi met with the workers in the dam's grouting tunnel and assured them of his commitment to secure the necessary approvals for their financial claims. He emphasized the importance of continuing the grouting work and praised their efforts.
The strike, which began on Thursday, was due to the employees not receiving their allowances and bonuses for the past six months. The Mosul Dam administration had previously threatened to terminate contract workers and transfer permanent employees if the strike continued.
Mosul Dam, the largest water reservoir in Iraq, is built on gypsum foundations that require regular cement injections to fill cracks in its structure. In 2016, the US Embassy in Baghdad warned its citizens to prepare to evacuate in case of a potential catastrophe if the dam were to collapse. This warning followed a period of neglect during the ISIS occupation of Mosul and other parts of Iraq, which hindered maintenance efforts.
Since its completion in 1986, the dam has required constant grouting to maintain its integrity due to the unsuitable foundation on which it was constructed. The grouting process has been essential in preserving the dam and its associated infrastructure.
In January 2016, Iraq signed a contract with the Italian company Trevi to maintain Mosul Dam.
Located on the Tigris River, Mosul Dam was constructed by a German-Italian consortium and measures 3.2 kilometers in length and 131 meters in height, making it the largest dam in Iraq and the fourth largest in the Middle East.
