Kirkuk electricity bill collectors strike over permanent employment pledges

KIRKUK — Electricity bill collectors in Kirkuk have gone on strike, refusing to collect household payments until their demand for permanent employment is addressed. The workers report that over 7,000 collectors across Iraq are supporting the strike, calling on the government to provide stable, long-term positions.

On Tuesday, Kirkuk’s bill collectors gathered in protest and halted their work, giving Iraq’s Minister of Electricity a four-day deadline to resolve the issue. They warned that if no solution is reached, they will file a lawsuit against the minister in the Federal Court.

“In 2022, we were promised permanent employment, but it still hasn’t happened,” Ali Bakr, a contract bill collector, told 964media. “During our last meeting, the Iraqi Prime Minister claimed we’d been granted permanent status, but that’s not true—we’re still on contracts.” He added that the Minister of Electricity recently met with them and requested a four-day grace period to resolve the matter.

“If there’s no solution in four days, we’ll file a complaint against the Minister of Electricity in Federal Court,” Bakr said. He noted that 352 bill collectors in Kirkuk and 7,029 nationwide are currently refusing to collect electricity payments.

This is not their first protest; the collectors have organized several demonstrations over the years demanding permanent employment.

In 2019, the Iraqi Council of Ministers issued Decision No. 315 to improve the status of daily wage workers and contractors in government institutions. This decision aims to convert daily wage workers with over five years of service into contract employees, granting them benefits similar to permanent staff. These benefits include pension coverage, salary determination based on educational qualifications, entitlement to leaves, opportunities for further education, access to training programs, eligibility for installment-based land allocations, permission to work in the private sector without conflicting with their government duties, and priority for permanent positions when vacancies arise. This initiative responds to longstanding demands from daily wage workers and contractors for better employment conditions and job security.

Attempts by 964media to reach officials at the Kirkuk Electricity Directorate’s media office went unanswered. A source from the accounting department in the Electricity Distribution Directorate confirmed to 964media that “this issue lies with the minister of electricity and needs urgent attention, as it affects all of Iraq, not just the bill collectors in Kirkuk.”