Syria’s Tartus Labor Union launched a massive attack on the Russian operator of the Tartus harbor, the Russian businessman, “Stroy Tranz Gas,” owned by President Vladimir Putin’s Russian businessman Yeveni Prigugen, the same company that acquired Eastern phosphate and Khnevis, as well as the fertilizer plant in Homs.
In a memorandum submitted to the Central Union in Damascus, the workers Union accused the Russian company that one year after it received and operated Tartus port, it did not fulfil the promises it made to the Syrian government. As the Russian company did not "rehabilitate the infrastructure, mechanisms and equipment of the current port for $50 million within four years according to the article".
The memo pointed out that the company "has not taken any field step to date to develop the port work and to update the means and mechanisms of work and production and lifting the technical readiness that can be described today as at its worst after about ten months of receiving it".
The memo added that the Russian company "resorts to secure replacement parts for disabled vehicles from other disabled mechanisms, which makes matters worse", indicating that this violates the form and content of the contract, which obliges it to keep the property in good technical condition and perform the necessary technical maintenance at its expense.
The memo pointed out that “the investing company has not announced its internal system and structure for its method of work until now. Labor relations are still hazy and subject to the moods of company officials and their advisors, and their short understanding of Syrian laws and regulations in many aspects and mechanisms of work.”
It also explained that the contract states that the investing company is responsible for insuring the port and all its requirements with one of the approved insurance companies in Syria. However, the company did not do so despite the numerous correspondences from the General Company for the Port of Tartus in this regard, which may cause disasters and serious damage in the future.
The workers pointed out in their memo that the Board of Directors is the supreme administrative authority overseeing the implementation of the contract, but it has not yet met and has not played any positive role in studying and addressing the pending problems and resolving the existing disputes between the General Company for Tartus Port and the investing company.
Especially on many cases, especially with regard to workers who have not yet contracted with the company, which refused to pay their wages and compensation, including those enrolled in reserve service, which is an explicit violation of the contractual article which stipulates the benefit and maintenance of all workers in the port
The memo pointed out that the individual work contract provided a meal for the alternate workers, and the investing company had set its value at 700 Syrian pounds. It is the same value as the food meal given to the workers of Homs fertilizer from the same company, but the company gave it to a part of the workers on duty in the shift system, at a value of 700 Syrian pounds, and for the other part, a value of 100 Syrian pounds.
The pro-regime newspaper, Al-Watan, citing a responsible source, stated that the Presidency of the Council of Ministers had referred the General Union’s book to the Minister of Transport since last September 8, requesting follow-up and action in coordination with the concerned authorities, but the issue is still in the harbor’s drawers, according to the newspaper.
Al-Watan said that it tried to communicate with the Russian company to find out its viewpoint on all that was received, but to no avail, "as it has been since the start of operation," according to the same newspaper.
Zaman Al Wasl
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