sheepdog Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 BAGHDAD — Iraq's government, already infamous for its lethargy and red tape that has snarled national progress, may soon shut down for much of the summertime. A proposed new law, which a parliamentary committee plans to discuss Sunday, aims to shorten workdays and help public employees avoid searing temperatures that commonly exceed 120 degrees and blanket the country during summer's peak. It will also cut work hours during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that begins in late July, Younadam Kanna, chairman of parliament's labor and social affairs committee, said Saturday. But Iraq is already feeling the heat from its people and foreign partners. Experts say its government largely has failed to overcome decades of war, sanctions and military occupation and settle into a new democratic system that delivers reliable security, electricity and other public services, or fosters job growth. Much of the government's work has been slowed by a political crisis, fueled by ethnic and sectarian tensions, that flared immediately after U.S. troops withdrew from Iraq last December and has produced demands for the Shiite prime minister's ouster. "The employees in our ministries are looking for any pretext to run away from their offices," Jassim al-Obeidi, a real estate agent in Baghdad, said Saturday. "I think that this measure will add more delay to the work in the government offices, and the only damaged party will be the ordinary people who will have to spend more time and efforts trying to finish their paperwork for the government." Kanna, a member of parliament's tiny Christian political coalition, said the new law should not significantly affect the government work. But he said it is still not decided how short workdays might be cut. He also declined to comment on whether it would apply to security forces, lawmakers or top ministry officials. "We think that the proposed measure is necessary for government employees, especially those who work in the streets, construction sites or open fields," Kanna said Saturday. "Working under high temperatures for a long time will definitely affect the health of the employees or workers." Last week, the U.S.-based Fund for Peace ranked Iraq No. 9 on its annual Top Ten list of failed states worldwide. The nonpartisan research group ranked 178 nations and cited persisting security problems in Iraq, like the attacks that have killed more than 160 people so far this month, amid few improvements in soothing the long-standing ethnic and sectarian tensions. Other groups highlight corruption as a key obstacle undercutting development and trust in state institutions. But Iraqis frequently complain that languid administration compounds the problems caused by instability and corruption. Like many Muslim countries, official work in Iraq usually grinds to a halt during Ramadan, which this year begins July 20. But the law would for the first time legalize the slowdown for the country's Before then, parliament is trying to rush through votes on as many as 50 pieces of legislation that have been stalled for at least since the beginning of the year. Laws to divide oil revenues between the central government in Baghdad and Iraq's self-rule Kurdish region, and settle boundaries for disputed lands in the country's north, have languished for years. Parliament's major accomplishment so far this year was approval of Iraq's $100 billion operating budget – which included $50 million to pay for pricey armored cars for each of the 325 lawmakers. Lawmakers earn an estimated $22,500 each month in salary and allowances for housing and security. In contrast, a midlevel government employee makes around $600 a month. Education ministry employee Abas al-Saadi welcomed the extra time, noting that "there are a lot of holidays in this country during the year and few more hours off will not hurt." "With the summer temperatures in this country and the constant electricity cutoffs, I think the law recommendation is positive and helpful for employees, especially those who want to fast during Ramadan," he said. ___ Associated Press Writer Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report. Follow Lara Jakes on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/larajakesAP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usndiver Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 This is what happens when a people do not fight for their own freedom. It was our men and women that fought for and protected the Iraqi people throughout the years, including the summer months, all the while wearing body armor! Whiney clown a$$es they are. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigmeister Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 huh. Thanks for the post. 120 degrees....well maybe they should plan on working in the evenings. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanssouci Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Two words: Air conditioning. Oh, wait. They need electricity for that. Silly me! 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigmeister Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Two words: Air conditioning. Oh, wait. They need electricity for that. Silly me! They need to call the generator man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagdaddy Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Two words: Air conditioning. Oh, wait. They need electricity for that. Silly me! rv The lack of electric infrustructure rest solely with the politicians. So many companies would have loved the contract for power gerneration. What an opportunity wasted. Maybe once they RV they can build a power grid and buy bogus Carrier counterfit AC's (all with the same serial numbers) made in Turkey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yota691 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Basra .. High temperatures, poisonous snakes out of the nests to spread in the province Friday, June 22, 2012 14:24 {Basra} Euphrates News report .. Mohammed Al Jabri .. led to warmer temperatures in the province of Basra to the exit of a large Avai in different regions and districts, counties, especially where it is prevalent agricultural land, according to some eyewitnesses say to the reporter Alfr Agency {News}. He says, "Abu Hassan of the inhabitants of the city to spend the correspondent of the News Agency {Euphrates} and a farmer, who appeared these days are poisonous snakes attacked some citizens toxic Bedadtha Some may say it's just propaganda or just rumors. And speaks of Mohammed Hamid of the inhabitants of the region {Street Ismail} told {Euphrates News} "these days, began to snake out with high temperatures and I'm talking to you was the land that we live in mostly agricultural High temperatures and dry rivers in some areas in the district of Abu Fertile led to out of these snakes. He continues, "and the snakes out of the river near the homes that most of the residents live near them and come looking for low temperatures has been coming into the house where the place is cold. Reveals Hamid to be one of the survivors of the Bites poisonous snakes in the past year suffered in one of the areas in the district of Abu Fertile say was before the attack by one of the snakes and the story is when I return coming to my house and with the start of the sunset I felt sting strong valuable down the leg and I realized, and if Nafie is fled and the color was not clear because of the lack of daylight. . Shows "after the Satna Viper, which has a length of almost one meter and having defeated and tried to kill her but she was fast heading toward some pieces of land in the judiciary, specifically in the region {Hamdan} in the district of Abu Fertile, noting that he lost consciousness and was taken to a hospital to receive treatment. And emphasizes "the snake caused me rigid in my legs to spread then to the thigh of my feet and my body completely after hardening in addition to loss of consciousness and a sharp rise in temperature, headache, strong in the brain was transferred to the hospital. Um Mustafa says of the inhabitants of Shatt al-Arab spend "a few days ago ago and found a snake in the house, specifically behind the door you were preaching to Mustafa and I have to kill her and throw the outside." Umm Mustafa and proceed by saying, "This snake does not exceed the length of {50} cm, noting that" diagonal color to the desert, one of the snakes known as toxic and that are spread in areas where there are many agricultural land according to the plan. " Explains Abu Talib and who is a teacher in a school in Faw, "few days ago, during my return from always saw the snake very large longer than two meters has been struck by them and was amazed that at this time come out of these snakes may be ones that do not exist on the roads, but are located in the pits and rivers ". He adds that "most of these snakes could threaten pet ducks, geese and other animals as well as it could pose a significant on the lives of the families that live in some mud houses or old houses, which have most of these snakes to find shelters of their own, especially homes with low temperatures ". He holds Abu Falah "of the inhabitants of the area desirable," the local government in the province of Basra and the Department of Environment not to fight against areas where these types of snakes that pose a danger to the lives of the people of the province of Basra. He adds Abu Faleh said, "These snakes were not widespread in the time before asserting that the high temperatures and dry most of the rivers has become an opportunity for these snakes to search for places to find their own food and place the low temperatures. In the view of "Chairman of the Committee on Health and the Environment in the province of Basra, Mansour al-Moussawi said the snakes coming out because of the humidity and heat, which led them to search for places, whether in mud houses or rivers that contain water in addition to it looking for food it may be spread in some agricultural land that spreads the palm which is close to some houses. ended 42 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigmeister Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Heat, snakes makes one not want to take a chance and go in to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedro Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Really, too hot to work..............seems to me that it would be safer to be in the Govt building than at home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maggie123 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Makes sense for the $600.00 a month outdoor workers... You can't tell me the lawmakers @ $22,500 a month don't have generators and air conditioning everywhere they go! Sheesh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halo9678 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 Too hot to work? Really? Tell that to the men and women who ran missions DAY and NIGHT only to be accosted by mobs and throngs of people trying to get food. Or better yet, to be shot at by insurgents, or 'freedom fighters', while delivering the food to said populations. Oh, meanwhile, the GoI and constituents host lavish lunches wityh ceiling fans, fresh fruit, and dare I say clean water and chai tea. Yeah, that sounds about right. If the iraqi people allow this to happen they deserve exactly what they are going to get, a socio-political-economic structure made to provide lavish comforts and amenity for those few while the majority live on pennies a day to fund their decadence and extravagence. Oh wait, EN SHALLAH..... Color me impressed..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DinarSpot Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 I thought all the snakes were all ready in the government offices,they won't bite those guy's, it's a professional curtesy!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon29 Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 What's the difference, they take time off every other month with holidays and vacations, may as well not work the rest of the summer and get paid for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easyrider Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 (edited) heck why not take off the whole year Edited June 24, 2012 by easyrider Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skitealwedrop Posted June 24, 2012 Report Share Posted June 24, 2012 I'm calling in sick tomorrow. According to the forecast the temp should be around 101 here in the Big D. I just don't think that I can break a sweat. Looks like another day at the pool for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firedawg Posted June 25, 2012 Report Share Posted June 25, 2012 That's why you don't walk around at night wearing your shower chancletta's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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