Workers at Zanobia Ceramic in al-Kiswah, Rural Damascus (southwestern Syria), and the company’s management reached an agreement to end the strike as of Tuesday, June 16, after a meeting at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor. The agreement included a wage increase and a cost-of-living allowance totaling 700,000 Syrian pounds.
Abdul Rahman Halawa, representative of the strike committee and the person authorized to speak on behalf of the workers, told Enab Baladi today, Monday, June 15, that the agreement ended the strike that began on June 9. It includes a 500,000 Syrian pound wage increase, in addition to 200,000 Syrian pounds added to the cost-of-living allowance.
Work to Resume Tuesday
Halawa added that the workers will resume work as of Tuesday morning at full production capacity, after the agreement was reached under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.
He explained that buses transporting workers will return to service according to the previously approved schedules, calling on workers to commit to work hours and administrative instructions after the strike ends.
The agreement came during a meeting held at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor in the presence of Minister Hind Kabawat, the employer, representatives of the workers’ committee, representatives of the ministry, the Damascus and Rural Damascus Chamber of Industry, members of the executive bureau of the Workers’ Union, and representatives of labor unions.
Workers’ Demands
The company’s workers had staged a strike since June 9 to demand improved wages and living conditions.
The workers said earlier that they submitted a request through the union committee to the company’s management asking about the implementation of wage increases, before they began the strike days later.
According to a letter the workers sent in response to the company’s statement and reviewed by Enab Baladi, they received a reply they considered unsuitable for their demands, prompting them to organize a strike that included the company’s factories.
The workers also demanded better wages, healthcare services, health insurance, first aid, and the presence of an on-call doctor inside the facility.
Company Says It Respects Workers’ Rights
For its part, Zanobia said in a statement reviewed by Enab Baladi that it is committed to fulfilling workers’ rights in accordance with the laws and regulations in force. The company confirmed that it applied the approved increases to the minimum wage and that all its workers are registered with social insurance.
The company added that the number of workers at its facilities in Adra and al-Kiswah is about 4,000, and that it provides workers with transportation, social insurance, medical coverage, production incentives, and periodic increases.
The company said Zanobia’s management views workers as partners in the production process, calling for accuracy in information circulated about the strike.
Government Follow-Up
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor had said earlier that it conducted an inspection tour of the company, with the participation of representatives of the workers, the company’s management, the General Federation of Trade Unions, and the Damascus and Rural Damascus Chamber of Industry, to listen to the demands of both sides and bring viewpoints closer in accordance with Labor Law No. 17 of 2010.
Zanobia Limited Liability Company is a private industrial company working in the production of ceramic, granite, and bathroom sets. It was established in 1998 and owns production facilities in the Adra and al-Kiswah areas of Rural Damascus.
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