Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Babil

Employees took to the streets in Baghdad and Babil province, seeking overdue salaries, permanent jobs and better living conditions, Shafaq News learned on Sunday.

In Baghdad, workers at the General Company for Construction Materials Trading, which operates under the Ministry of Trade, demanded a resolution to months-long delays in salaries and financial entitlements.

The staff also raised concerns about the company’s future, pointing to measures that could pave the way for its conversion to an investment model. Seeking clarity over any plans affecting the company, they urged authorities to ensure workers are not left to bear the impact of future administrative or investment decisions.

Their demands included delays over land allocated to workers in Basra, an issue they have pursued for more than five years, maintaining that the plots are part of company property and were designated for its workforce.

In Babil, protesters blocked the Hilla-Baghdad highway as they headed toward Baghdad, demanding permanent positions for contract workers and action on food security concerns.

Iraq recorded the fastest relative rise in protest activity among emerging markets, with incidents jumping 671% to 44,763 in the second quarter of 2026 from 5,806 a year earlier, according to Verisk Maplecroft’s Civil Unrest Index.

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