Iraq’s Basra oil workers protest 30% incentive cut
Shafaq News- Basra
Hundreds of employees in Iraq’s southern province of Basra protested on Monday, rejecting a Cabinet decision to deduct 30% from financial incentives granted to Oil Ministry staff, Shafaq News correspondent reported.
The protest came hours after workers at the Karbala refinery organized a sit-in inside the facility to oppose measures aimed at cutting allowances. Participants told Shafaq News they would defend their rights and reject any steps affecting their entitlements.
Official documents issued by the Ministry of Industry and Minerals, disclosed on Monday, showed that recommendations had been submitted to the General Secretariat of the Council of Ministers proposing a reorganization of the mechanism for calculating and distributing production bonuses and profit incentives across state institutions, as part of efforts to address financial pressures and control spending.
In January 2026, the Iraqi Cabinet approved a package of decisions adjusting and deducting certain allowances and incentives in specific ministries, including a 30% reduction in Oil Ministry employee incentives and the cancellation of overtime allowances in the Electricity Ministry due to liquidity shortages.
