Kurdistan Men Union: families struggle amid Baghdad-Erbil disputes

Shafaq News/ The head of the Kurdistan Men Union, Burhan Faraj, raised concerns about the adverse effects of delayed salary payments on families, attributing the delay to ongoing disputes between Baghdad and Erbil.

The Federal Supreme Court (the highest judicial authority in Iraq) decided in February to obligate the Iraqi and Kurdish prime ministers Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani and Masrour Barzani to localize the salaries of Kurdish employees and workers іn the public sector іn federal banks. However, these federal procedures deprived the employees оf their February salaries.

KRG disclosed that only 59% оf total salaries were funded by the Federal Ministry оf Finance, leaving 41% оf employees without wages, and the funded amount did not reach the Ministry оf Finance іn the Kurdistan Region.

Faraj emphasized that the "prolonged delay in salary payments, which has exceeded five months, has had a profound negative impact on families' lives." Pointing out that "Iraqi civil status law designates men as the heads of households responsible for bearing financial burdens. Consequently, the delay has significantly affected men, leading to the worst living conditions and a decline in their value within society and families."

Faraj highlighted that this crisis has also affected mothers "who struggle to manage family expenses due to lacking financial resources."

"Moreover, families face challenges in meeting daily needs such as generator fuel, school bus fees, and internet fees, which have become necessities. Faraj noted an increase in divorce rates attributed to the financial and economic crisis, with divorce rates reaching 50% in some areas." He said.

Faraj urged the Kurdish and federal governments to "prioritize distributing the available salaries to alleviate the financial strain on families and address the growing societal challenges resulting from the prolonged salary crisis."