Over 40 workers die in Kurdistan Region in 2023: Syndicate

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Over 40 workers died while working in the Kurdistan Region this year, the Kurdistan Workers’ Syndicate revealed on Tuesday. 

The heads of the syndicate’s branches in the four provinces of the Kurdistan Region separately told Rudaw on Tuesday that a total of 41 workers died in the Region while at work since the beginning of the year.

With 25 deaths of workers, Sulaimani province has the lion’s share of the casualties. It is followed by Erbil (ten) and Duhok (six).

“No worker died or was injured in Halabja because the giant projects available in other cities cannot be found here,” Karzan Mohammed, head of the Halabja branch of the syndicate, told Rudaw. 

Tens of other workers were injured while working in the Kurdistan Region.

Some of the casualties were foreign workers. 

Five workers were injured last month after an unfinished building collapsed in Sulaimani city.

Many companies do not sign contracts with their employees and in this way, avoid installing safety measures. Workers who suffer accidents often lose their source of income.

Four Sudanese workers who had been living at an unfinished project in Erbil for ten years and were unable to return to their country due to unpaid salaries, in October urged the Kurdistan Region’s relevant authorities to resolve the issue.

Two of the six workers died at the unfinished workplace without ever receiving their salaries.