Oil union unrest continues over unmet demands

BASRA - Oil workers in Basra are threatening to stage a fresh round of demonstrations to protest unpaid bonuses and the Oil Ministry's continued persecution of labor organizers.

The most recent grievance is the renewed legal prosecution of a prominent oil union leader. Hassan Juma thought he had been acquitted of charges that he orchestrated work stoppages and harmed the national economy – but an appellate court overturned that ruling last week.