Iraq strike wave: Teachers protest for second day

Shafaq News/ For the second day in a row, teachers and public employees across Iraq are taking to the streets, rallying for fair wages, improved living conditions, and stronger legal protections.

In the southern province of Al-Diwaniyah, educational and administrative staff continued their sit-in in front of the Education Directorate, demanding salary increases and land allocations. They confirmed that their movement would continue until their demands are met.

Several areas in the capital, Baghdad, witnessed protest strikes, while classes were suspended in many schools in Diyala province, with most students returning home.

In Najaf province, teachers and employees voiced their rejection of the current salary scale, urging the government to implement fair reforms that ensure their work and living rights.

The situation in Karbala also escalated as several schools were closed following a demonstration by hundreds in front of the Provincial Education Directorate. In Dhi Qar and Basra, many schools held partial strikes.

Ali Garkan Al-Dulfi, a member of the Parliamentary Education Committee from Wasit province, accused security forces of intimidating educational staff, calling on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and the Minister of Interior to investigate the alleged interference of the Wasit Police Directorate in educational affairs.

Large demonstrations took place in the Iraqi capital and several provinces on Sunday by employees and teaching staff, demanding the approval of the salary scale and protesting salary disparities between departments. At the same time, Malek Hadi, the head of the Teachers' and Educators' Strike Coordinating Committee, was arrested in Baghdad along with four committee members from other provinces.

The Iraqi Teachers' Union had called for a protest on Monday, demanding action on seven key issues and warning of escalatory measures if their demands are not met.