Two Hunger-Striking Teachers in Sulaymaniyah Transferred to Hospital as Salary Protests Intensify

Peregraf

The health of two teachers participating in a hunger strike in Sulaymaniyah has deteriorated, prompting their transfer to a hospital for medical treatment. The educators, along with other public sector employees, have been on strike to demand a long-term solution to the chronic salary delays in the Kurdistan Region.

The protesters are calling for their salaries to be incorporated into Iraq’s Tawteen banking system instead of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s Hazhmari Mn system, arguing that this change would ensure more reliable payments. They also demand the settlement of all overdue salaries, including their December 2024 wages, which remain unpaid. One of the additional demands put forth by teachers and public sector employees in the Kurdistan region is the restoration of promotions in line with the 2008 law, which was put on hold due to the Erbil-Baghdad dispute in 2014.

For the past five days, a group of teachers and employees have been staging a sit-in in front of the United Nations office in Sulaymaniyah, urging international organizations to pressure the authorities into addressing their grievances. As part of the demonstration, twelve protesters have declared a hunger strike, vowing to continue until their demands are met.

At a press conference held under the protest tents, a representative of the hunger strikers called for mass public support, urging citizens to join a large-scale protest. “The health condition of the hunger strikers is deteriorating day by day,” he warned, emphasizing the urgency of the situation.

Medical teams have been conducting regular check-ups on the hunger strikers, who are consuming only water, tea, and coffee. However, their physical condition is visibly weakening.

The protesters’ demands center on timely and guaranteed salary payments, depoliticization of the payroll system, and a resolution to the financial crisis affecting public sector workers. They argue that financial security is crucial for their dignity and well-being.

The protest movement was sparked by the repeated delays in teachers’ salaries, leading to a widespread school boycott across Sulaymaniyah. As frustration mounts, more public employees are joining the demonstrations, amplifying pressure on the government.

A significant feature of the tent protest is the symbolic backing from Members of Parliament across all political parties in the Kurdistan Region, with the exception of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), who have shown their solidarity by visiting the demonstrators. Ari Harsin, the head of the KDP's fourth branch in Sulaimaniyah, commented today on the demands of the striking teachers and employees, stating, "The entity responsible for halting the salaries is not the Kurdistan Regional Government; it is the government in Baghdad, which is unrelated to the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The Iraqi finance minister bears responsibility for the salary issue." However, protesters hold the KRG primarily responsible for the salary crisis and assert that it is obstructing the Iraqi federal government from addressing the matter. Furthermore, Protesters assert that their movement will persist until tangible actions are implemented to address the crisis.