AL Bahira agent in Basra said that the shipping companies and maritime transport of the private sector continued its strike for the sixth consecutive day in Khor Al Zubair and Umm Qasr ports.

Fahmi Ali said that all private companies in shipping and maritime transport stroked from working at Khor Al Zubair and Umm Qasr ports for six days. Our demands are focused on activating the Law of 51 that the Iraqi Ministry of Transport refrains from its implementation, though it effective on other government institutions since 2003, as well as the abolition of the Law 86 of 1985 which marginalized the role of the private maritime sector.

Law 51, which was launched by the civil administrator in Iraq , Paul Bremer in 2003 states on the need to find an area of legitimate competition between the public and private sectors with regard to the work of state institutions while Act 86 of 1985 to limit the work of marine agencies.

Private companies that continue to strike consider this law as a military law particularly that the former regime may be prescribed to limit the transfer of military equipment, state firms during the Iran-Iraq war in the eighties of the last century.

Fahmi called the authorities to account the shipping government company for imposing heavy taxes on cargo and vessels without providing any services. The representatives of all private companies are determined to continue the strike in case of failure to achieve their demands in activating the role of the private sector.

Shipping company of the Iraqi Ministry of Transportation declined from making any statement on the grounds that it is not authorized. A large number of private companies, maritime transport have organized the strike at Umm Qasr and Khor Al Zubair ports in the first of this month.

(Sourced from AK News)