Iraqi officials assist Lankans

8 July 2011 08:05 am Views - 3133

By Gandhya Senanayake

High ranking Iraqi Government officials had given a firm assurance that the salary issues of the over thirty Sri Lankan workers who were on a hunger strike in mid June in Iraq will be settled, External Affairs Ministry officials told Daily Mirror online

The officials added that the high ranking officials from the Iraqi Government had intervened in the matter and assisted the Sri Lankan in coming to a settlement regarding the back wages owed to them by the security company they worked for. 

It was reported that close to $18,000 was owned to each worker in back wages. The concerned ex-Sri Lankan soldiers were employed as security personnel for a Jordanian company involved in construction projects in Al-Amra, nearly 700km from Baghdad.

When the strike was initiated by the Sri Lankan workers, External Affairs Ministry officials from Lebanon were sent to Iraq to hold discussion with the relevant Sri Lankan and Iraqi officials.

Meanwhile, Kingsley Ranawaka the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment told Daily Mirror online that hey have previously warned Sri Lankan migrant workers not to seek employment in Iraq due to the security situation and the lack of Sri Lankan officials in Iraq.

However the protest was stopped after Iraqi Government officials intervened and helped settle the salary dispute as the hunger strike was putting a bad light on Iraqi employment. (Daily Mirror online)