Iraqi security forces use water cannons to disperse angry protesters in Kirkuk on January 2, 2023. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - At least five people were wounded in Kirkuk on Monday as police applied force to disperse hundreds of angry demonstrators who protested the lack of employment by the North Oil Company (NOC) and tried to storm its headquarters.
A total of 1350 college graduates received a six-month-long training course by the state-run NOC four years ago, but have not yet been employed. Of this number, Over 450 of them staged an angry protest on Monday.
A protester told Rudaw that Baghdad already consented to employ 458 of the trained graduates, but they were not true to their words and that they employed other people instead of them.
Brigade General Abduljabbar al-Tai, the head of the Kirkuk Joint Operations Command told Rudaw that he recently visited Baghdad to check up on the status of the employment process of the trained graduates and said this process "takes time".
"This subject takes time, because it requires plenty of routines, so they do not have to come and attack the NOC headquarters," al-Tai said. "According to my information, their papers and documents are in Baghdad and there is good progress on the matter at hand. Therefore the protesters must exercise restraint and there is no need to create violence."
The commander added that the security forces are trying to control the situation.
"We support peaceful protests, but violent protests, storming government institutions and attacking such places are illegal," he added.
The NOC management has previously told Rudaw that they have little influence over the employment and that this process is only vested with Baghdad.
An estimated 12,000 employees currently work for the company.
A total of 1350 college graduates received a six-month-long training course by the state-run NOC four years ago, but have not yet been employed. Of this number, Over 450 of them staged an angry protest on Monday.
A protester told Rudaw that Baghdad already consented to employ 458 of the trained graduates, but they were not true to their words and that they employed other people instead of them.
Brigade General Abduljabbar al-Tai, the head of the Kirkuk Joint Operations Command told Rudaw that he recently visited Baghdad to check up on the status of the employment process of the trained graduates and said this process "takes time".
"This subject takes time, because it requires plenty of routines, so they do not have to come and attack the NOC headquarters," al-Tai said. "According to my information, their papers and documents are in Baghdad and there is good progress on the matter at hand. Therefore the protesters must exercise restraint and there is no need to create violence."
The commander added that the security forces are trying to control the situation.
"We support peaceful protests, but violent protests, storming government institutions and attacking such places are illegal," he added.
The NOC management has previously told Rudaw that they have little influence over the employment and that this process is only vested with Baghdad.
An estimated 12,000 employees currently work for the company.
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