Workers march in Baghdad on May Day, demanding wages, shorter hours

BAGHDAD — Hundreds of workers, activists and labor rights advocates marched through central Baghdad on Thursday to mark International Workers’ Day, raising demands for better wages, shorter working hours and stronger protections.

The march began at Firdos Square and moved toward Saadoun Tunnel, with participants carrying banners and chanting for health and social security coverage and higher pay.

Several workers highlighted the prevalence of foreign labor as a central grievance. Abdulrahman Alaa said “employers prefer foreign workers over Iraqis,” calling on the government to activate oversight of hiring practices. “Iraqi youth are unemployed while foreign labor is spreading across the country, especially in restaurants, including Syrians, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Egyptians,” he said. Saddam Alawi said foreign workers, particularly Pakistanis, had “taken over the job market” because “employers prefer foreigners as they work longer hours for lower wages.”

Amir Riyadh called on the government to “monitor companies and obligate them to provide job opportunities for youth,” noting that many employers require prior experience while young people need training to gain it.

Participants also pointed to working shifts of up to 14 hours a day for salaries not exceeding 600,000 dinars (about $387). Hussein Ridwan said “working 14 hours a day is slavery, not work,” adding that labor laws in many countries cap shifts at eight hours “to preserve the worker’s dignity, while in Iraq it reaches 14 hours, which is unacceptable.”