Iraq’s Shiite Endowment teachers in Karbala call for protest

Shafaq News/ A group of teachers affiliated with the Shiite Endowment in Karbala called for a protest outside the endowment’s local office, demanding equal employment rights in line with their counterparts in the Ministry of Education.

In a statement, the group urged “all teachers and educators affiliated with the Shiite Endowment to participate in Tuesday’s protest in front of the Endowment’s office in Bab al-Tuwairij to press for our professional and employment rights.”

The move comes as coordination committees for teachers in Basra and Babil also announced plans for large demonstrations on Tuesday, coinciding with the weekly cabinet session.

Iraq’s national teachers’ coordination committee had earlier launched a general strike starting Sunday, calling for the inclusion of school teachers under the education service law, similar to university faculty, and demanding increases in financial allocations such as cost-of-living, professional, transportation, and family allowances.

However, on Sunday evening, the Basra Teachers’ Syndicate announced the suspension of the strike and the resumption of regular classes starting Monday. The move was rejected by many in the education community.

Meanwhile, employees of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities also signaled plans to hold protests this week in Baghdad. A source told Shafaq News the demonstrations aim to demand salary increases in line with those sought by education workers. The employees warned of a general strike in antiquities directorates across several provinces.