Salary delays trigger widespread strikes in Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH – Delays in salary payments have sparked a wave of boycotts by several government departments and offices in Sulaymaniyah, raising concerns about the impact on public services, including education. Public employees in the Kurdistan Region have not received their salaries for nearly 60 days, leading to growing frustration among civil servants.

On Sunday morning, employees from the Sulaymaniyah Electricity Distribution Directorate, the Sulaymaniyah Notary, and other government offices began refusing to provide routine public services in protest of the unpaid salaries for July. This action follows similar strikes last week by employees of the Sulaymaniyah Municipality and Water Directorate.

A local resident who visited the Sulaymaniyah Notary 2 told 964media, “I went to the office at 11 a.m. to issue a power of attorney for selling my car, but they told me that, due to the delays and non-payment of salaries, they are on strike and not working.”

Another resident outside the office shared a similar experience, saying, “The employees said they are not working today because of the delayed salaries. They told us to come back next week.”

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Finance has denied responsibility for the delay, while Iraq’s federal Ministry of Finance has yet to issue a statement, further fueling employee frustrations. The delay comes amid broader financial challenges for the KRG.

964media has reached out to Hunar Jamal, the spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Finance for comment.

The Deputy Head of the Kurdish Teachers Union expressed hope for a smooth academic year despite ongoing salary issues but warned that “if the situation remains unresolved within the next two weeks, strikes and boycotts could resume, putting this year’s education at risk.”

“We hope for a calm school year, but if the salary delays continue, the teachers will have no choice but to resume their strikes,” Ata Ahmed, the Deputy Head of the Kurdish Teachers Union, told 964media. “Teachers are simply demanding their rightful salaries. Last year, the decision to start and end the boycott rested with the teachers, and the union supported them.”

Ahmed added, “If the salaries for July and August are not paid within the week, dissatisfied teachers will undoubtedly exercise their right to boycott. The Kurdish Teachers Union will back them and take a firm stance on the issue.”

Last week, the KRG dispatched a delegation to Baghdad to meet with the Board of Supreme Audit and later with Iraqi Finance Minister Taif Al-Sami to address the delays, but no official outcome of the discussions has been released.

The KRG has faced financial difficulties since March 2023, following a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce in favor of Baghdad against Turkey’s facilitation of KRG independent oil exports, which were a primary source of revenue for the region. This disruption has left the KRG struggling to pay salaries, with the last three months of 2023 remaining unpaid.

Despite ongoing negotiations, the KRG and Baghdad have not yet reached an agreement on a consistent mechanism for disbursing the KRG’s salary and budget share. On February 23, 2024, Iraq’s Supreme Federal Court ruled that the KRG must hand over all oil and non-oil revenues to Baghdad while the federal government is required to pay the salaries of KRG civil servants. The court also urged both parties to cooperate on the matter.

Peshawa Hawramani, the KRG spokesperson, criticized the delay, stating that it violates the Federal Court’s decision. Speaking at a press conference on Aug. 25 in Halabja Governorate, Hawramani said, “Apart from unjustifiable claims, there is no valid reason from Baghdad for withholding the salaries.” He added, “We view this delay in salary payments as a political maneuver.”

Attempts to contact Peshawa Hawramani for a statement also went unanswered.

On July 21, the KRG Ministry of Finance confirmed it had submitted the payroll list for July to Iraq’s federal Ministry of Finance, covering civil and military employees, pensioners, social welfare recipients, and notarial staff. However, no funds have been allocated for disbursement.

According to the KRG, distributing a month’s salary for public employees in the Kurdistan Region requires 956 billion Iraqi dinars. However, the funds sent by Baghdad for July and August were 800 billion Iraqi dinars for security forces’ salaries and 657 billion Iraqi dinars for civil servants, highlighting discrepancies in the amounts needed.