Al-Sulaymaniyah and Halabja: strike in government institutions due to delayed salaries

Shafaq News/ On Monday, employees from several government institutions in Al-Sulaymaniyah and Halabja governorates of the Kurdistan Region (KRI) announced a complete strike due to delays in their July and August salary payments.

Shafaq News correspondent reported, "Employees of Al-Sulaymaniyah Passport Directorate and several from the Halabja Health Directorate have fully halted services to the public."

On Sunday night, Kurdish representatives in the Iraqi government and parliament held a meeting in Baghdad, attended by President Abdul Latif Rashid, to discuss the salary delay crisis, during which they decided to intensify pressure on the relevant authorities to find a swift solution.

"I believe we have found a solution for the July salaries, which will be sent soon, and efforts will continue to resolve the issue for August," Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein had said during the meeting.

The delay in disbursing July and August salaries has sparked concerns, especially with the approaching new academic year in the KRI. For years, employees in the region have faced chronic delays in their monthly salaries, rooted in financial issues like the global drop in oil prices and the costs of the fight against ISIS. Despite the Federal Court's acknowledgment of Baghdad's obligation to pay salaries regularly, distribution problems persist, with some blaming political rather than financial factors. This ongoing issue has deeply affected residents' daily lives, leading to significant psychological and social hardships as many rely on these salaries for basic needs.