Shafaq News– Baghdad

Staff at Iraqi universities staged a second day of demonstrations on Monday against the government’s recent cut to university service allowances, pressing authorities to restore financial entitlements and safeguard employees’ livelihoods.

Shafaq News correspondents reported that in Baghdad, demonstrators gathered outside the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, while in the southern provinces of Najaf and Basra, protesters blocked the gates of the Education Directorates.

At Dhi Qar University, staff launched an open-ended work stoppage within the campus and are preparing a large demonstration on Tuesday if the Ministry of Finance does not release salaries later today, warning that planned actions could extend to closing university buildings and colleges. Meanwhile, in Maysan, university employees assembled outside the main gate of the university for the third consecutive day, accusing authorities of devaluing their academic qualifications.

The demonstrations follow a cabinet decision that suspended new contracts, daily-wage hiring, and service allowances for non-teaching employees. The Ministry of Finance later clarified that the allowances would apply only to staff fully dedicated to teaching in higher education and health institutions, noting that the measure aims to boost revenues and tighten spending.

No decision has been issued to reverse the measures.

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