Members of the Iraqi Teachers Syndicate stand together as leaders announce an emergency meeting to respond to the Finance Ministry’s challenge to the amended education law.
Teachers Syndicate to hold emergency meeting over Finance Ministry objection to allowances
BAGHDAD — The Iraqi Teachers Syndicate said it will convene an emergency central meeting on Sunday to address the Finance Ministry’s objection to the first amendment of Education Ministry Law No. 22 of 2011, warning it is ready to escalate “by all legitimate means” to protect teachers’ rights and ensure the amendment takes effect as passed.
Parliament approved the amendment on Aug. 26, expanding financial and administrative benefits for teachers, rural educators, and unpaid lecturers. The changes doubled monthly allowances from 150,000 dinars ($107) to 300,000 dinars ($214), reduced rural service requirements, and recognized volunteer years for retirement purposes.
Parliamentary Education Committee Chair Suad al-Waeli said the revised law shortens the rural-service condition from five years to three, explaining that “if a teacher serves four years in villages and rural areas, it will be counted as eight, and if five years, it will be counted as ten.”
The amendment also covers more than 200,000 unpaid lecturers nationwide, allowing their years of volunteer service to count toward retirement, and upgrades the Education Ministry’s legal departments to general-directorate level. It further authorizes the transfer of schools built on non-ministry land into formal ministry ownership.
The Finance Ministry recently objected to Article 4 of the amendment, which grants the doubled allowance, saying it cannot provide the funds due to cash liquidity constraints and reliance on borrowing to pay public-sector salaries.
The Teachers Syndicate said its council will meet at 10 a.m. on Nov. 16 to determine next steps, pledging to uphold the law as part of its “national and professional responsibility” toward the teaching community and the wider education sector.