Kurdistan teachers strike over unpaid salaries
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Shafaq News/ Teachers in Al-Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, have set up tents in front of the United Nations headquarters, amid ongoing salary delays.
In an exclusive statement to Shafaq News Agency, protester Shana Ali described the open-ended sit-in as a last resort after months of unheeded demands.
“We have been living under severe financial strain due to delayed salaries. With no response from authorities, we were left with no choice but to escalate our protest in front of the UN,” she said.
She further noted that teachers have yet to receive their salaries for December and January, with no clear assurances on when payments will be made, adding, “This uncertainty has deepened frustration among educators.”
Beyond salary delays, teachers are also protesting the suspension of job promotions for over a decade, calling it a violation of their rights as public sector employees.
Protesters have also urged the implementation of a Federal Supreme Court ruling that mandates the transfer of Kurdistan’s public sector salaries to federal banks, arguing that such a move would prevent future disruptions caused by political and financial disputes between Erbil and Baghdad.
Appealing to the international community and human rights organizations, teachers called for urgent intervention to pressure the authorities into resolving the crisis.
The ongoing strike has already disrupted classes in many schools, raising concerns over the academic future of students should the crisis persist.
Kurdistan’s education sector has repeatedly suffered from financial instability due to the region’s budget disputes with Baghdad.
Teachers in Al-Sulaymaniyah and other cities have staged previous strikes demanding financial and administrative rights, but a lasting solution remains elusive.