Report Aug #1 En 23

Reports

تقرير منظمة كردستان لمراقبة حقوق الانسان حول وضع اللتظاهرات في العراق

Demonstrations calling for the government to pay financial dues

The issue of payingfinancial dues in the region continues. Because of the delay in the payment oftheir monthly salaries, hundreds of doctors in the governorate of Sulaymaniyahand the independent departments affiliated with the governorate beganboycotting official working hours to urge the regional government to expeditethe payment of their financial dues. An employee's primary source of income ishis monthly salary, which he receives in exchange for the services he providesin his institution. This report provides an overview of the demonstrationsmonitored by the monitoring team during the first half of August 2023 inSulaymaniyah Governorate:

Sulaymaniyah Governoratedemonstration 01-08-2023

On Tuesday, August 1, 2023, hundreds of hospital employees in the Iraqi city of Sulaymaniyah demonstrated in the city's streets over a two-month delay in their salaries. The demonstrators chanted slogans urging the regional government to expedite the payment of their salaries, one of their most fundamental rights, which the government has supplied them with

One of the protestors stated that the purpose of this demonstration is to demand their financial rights, which they have not received for nearly two months, and that employees have family responsibilities and rely on their salaries as their primary source of income. For his part, another demonstrator stated that they risk their lives every day in the course of their work and interactions with patients, in addition to the efforts they make in serving hospital patients. However, the government does not recognize these efforts, which prompted healthcare workers to sit in until they are granted their legitimate rights. The reasons for the delay in salary payments are irrelevant to the citizen because he is seeking his salary in any way possible. The resident believes the regional government should address the issue and prevent salary delays

Financial entitlements are among the basic things that the government must provide to employees. Delaying these entitlements could have a negative impact on citizens in economic and living terms.

Photo (1)

The demonstrators were shown during the vigil due to delayed salaries

The health sector employees have released a statement expressing their concerns regarding the delay in salary distribution. Over 600 young doctors from the Sulaymaniyah governorate and its affiliated departments have been affected by the non-payment of their final salary for a period exceeding 44 days. Additionally, there is uncertainty surrounding the payment of salaries for the months of June and July. As a result, they have collectively decided to boycott official working hours until their demands are met. During the course of the demonstration, the participants proclaimed a collective work stoppage until such time that the government fulfills its financial obligations to them. The government was granted a period of 72 hours to fulfill the payment of salaries. If this deadline is not met, the next course of action will involve the declaration of a comprehensive strike across all institutions associated with the Ministry of Health in the specified region. No official government statement has been issued on this matter.

Regarding security, the presence of security forces was observed to safeguard the demonstration, and their responsibilities were confined to the coordination of the event, refraining from direct interaction with the demonstrators. The demonstration was further identified as peaceful and maintained a peaceful atmosphere throughout its duration. Regarding the media coverage, multiple media channels, namely Payam, Rudaw, and Khandan channels, were present to report on the event. Additionally, social media platforms also played a significant role in disseminating information.

Photo (2)

Another aspect of the vigil due to delayed salaries

The reasons forthe demonstration and the demonstrators' demands

Reviewing the protestin the Sulaymaniyah Governorate reveals that the most prominent reason for itsinception was a delay in the payment of employee wages.

Remarks on how thesecurity forces handle gatherings:

During the monitoringof the demonstrations that began during this period in Iraq, and based on theobservations of the monitoring team, it can be said that the securityauthorities handled the protesters with professionalism. This is an excellentindication of the security forces' progress in dealing with protesters. The peacefulhandling of demonstrations and their proper organization can be viewed as oneof the strengths of the security forces' work on the file of demonstrators, inwhich the right to demonstrate and freedom of expression is guaranteed,particularly in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

Kurdistan Organization for Human Right Watch

www.KOHRW.org

Email: Reports@kohrw.org

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