Shafaq News- Baghdad

Legal measures will be taken against those who fail to attend work over cuts to university service allowances, Iraq’s Acting Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Ahmad Fakkak al-Badrani, warned on Thursday, protesting and striking university employees.

Speaking at a press conference, Al-Badrani said the government’s decision does not affect university service benefits for either academic staff or administrative employees, urging workers to adhere to regular attendance.

“We will not allow absences, and no amendment or change has been made to the University Service Law by the Prime Minister,” he said, adding that the law remains in force without alteration and that salaries have not been reduced.

“The law is unchanged, salaries have not been affected, and university service entitlements remain intact. Deliberate absence from work will be considered a resignation,” al-Badrani noted.

Several Iraqi universities, including the University of Baghdad, have witnessed protests and strikes by employees opposing the suspension of university service allowances.

The implementation of Paragraph 7 of Cabinet Decision No. 40 of 2026 has sparked widespread controversy in Iraq after the Finance Ministry said university service allowances will be limited to staff “fully dedicated to teaching,” while suspending payments to non-full-time employees, in line with University Service Law No. 23 of 2008.