Municipality director pleads for more hiring
Shortage of workers, equipment sees Najaf grapple with garbage crisis
NAJAF — The city of Najaf is grappling with trash buildup, foul odors, and insect infestations across its main streets and many neighborhoods due to a severe shortage of municipal workers and equipment. Meanwhile, the Najaf municipality is seeking government approval to hire more workers, as its 2023-2024 budget does not include provisions for new positions.
Uday Tawir, director of Najaf Municipality, told 964media that municipal workers currently serve only 25% of the city but are making “significant” efforts to clean up to 60% of the environs. “The city needs at least 400 compactors, while only 180 are available, of which only 80 to 120 are operational due to frequent breakdowns,” he said.
The municipality reports a critical need for over 3,000 sanitation workers, but fewer than a thousand are currently on staff. Additionally, the current staff earn monthly salaries around 190,000 Iraqi dinars ($145), far below the average standard in Iraq.
“Workers with certifications often become drivers or move into administrative roles within the municipality, depending on their educational qualifications,” Tawir said. Once made permanent, these workers have started demanding two-day weekends and three additional days off per month, totaling 11 days off out of 30, aligning their benefits with other state employees.
Hassan Saheb, a resident of the Al-Quds neighborhood, expressed his community’s frustration, saying, “Our neighborhood has been overwhelmed with garbage for the past four days. Sometimes residents personally hire equipment to remove trash from the area.”
Musa Hussein from the Al-Nidaa neighborhood highlighted the ineffective waste management: “Garbage is everywhere, and the municipality can’t keep up. Our repeated calls for action have been ignored, and residents have resorted to pooling funds to manage waste disposal themselves.”
The municipality is also facing labor strikes and the migration of workers to better-paying jobs in the police and education sectors, worsening the staff shortage. “We ask citizens to cooperate by disposing of their trash at designated times to facilitate timely pickup. We urgently need the local government to pass a resolution allowing us to increase our workforce,” Tawir urged.
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