Shafaq News- Erbil
The Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on Monday made social security coverage mandatory for media employees across the Kurdistan Region, aiming to protect their employment and retirement rights.
At a press conference, Labor and Social Affairs Minister Kwestan Mohamad said the measure followed coordination with the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate and consultation with the Kurdistan Region’s Shura Council under the Workers’ Pension and Social Security Law and the Journalism Law.
Media organizations must enroll their staff in the social security system, with contributions deposited into individual accounts to provide financial benefits when employees retire or stop working, according to Mohamad, who said the requirement excludes journalists and other media workers holding other KRG government positions, as monthly deductions from their government salaries already go toward their pensions.
A committee headed by the ministry’s undersecretary will oversee implementation.
Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate head Azad Hamad Amin clarified that the Shura Council’s legal opinion also requires media institutions to provide formal employment contracts, which many journalists previously lacked, leaving their employment rights inadequately protected.
Amin also revealed ongoing discussions with the KRG and the Municipalities Ministry to allocate residential land plots to journalists with more than eight years of professional service, potentially benefiting around 1,800 media professionals across the Kurdistan Region.