Baghdad: Engineering, technical, and administrative staff working at the West Qurna/2 oil field held a protest today, demanding legal contracts similar to those they had with the Russian company Lukoil.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the protesting staff are also demanding the immediate payment of all outstanding dues owed to them by the Basra Oil Company. The workers have issued a warning that they will initiate a general strike after giving the Basra Oil Company and the consortium of companies executing the project a week’s notice, threatening that the strike would halt production.

The situation has escalated as the staff express their dissatisfaction with current contractual terms and delayed payments, emphasizing the potential impact on oil production if their demands are not met. The protest underscores the growing tensions between the workforce and management at one of Iraq’s major oil fields.