Teachers defy union as strike continues in Iraq

Shafaq News/ Teachers in Iraq’s Basra and Babil provinces plan to hold demonstrations on Tuesday, defying union calls to end a nationwide strike over pay and benefits, organizers said.

The protests are set to coincide with the weekly cabinet meeting in Baghdad, as Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani comes under increased pressure to deliver on pledges for economic and administrative reforms.

“We will stage a large demonstration outside the Basra Directorate of Education to push for implementation of our demands,” said Safa Al-Maliki, a spokesperson for the Basra strike committee.

While the Basra Teachers’ Union on Monday announced a return to work, Al-Maliki said the strike would continue, calling the decision “unrepresentative” of striking educators.

In Babil, a teachers' coordination committee announced a similar protest during a press conference, saying the government had failed to respond to a 48-hour ultimatum issued last week.

Striking educators are demanding inclusion under the Education Service Law, which governs benefits for university faculty, along with increased allowances for living costs, transportation, and family support.

Iraq’s public education system has faced years of underfunding, and teacher salaries remain among the lowest in the public sector.