Kurdistan Teachers Union threatens to take strike action over allowances.
The Kurdistan Teachers Union (KTU) threatened to declare national strike action starting at the new academic year, if the Regional Authority fails to meet the union demand of restoring Kurdish teachers’ allowances.
The Executive body of the KTU, in its last meeting in Erbil, a few days ago decided to issue the warning to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and stated that if the KRG fails to respond positively, then the union will declare full strike action across Iraqi Kurdistan.
The union move came about as a result of the decision of the KRG/Iraq to cut back the 125,000 diners (About $100 US) allowances Kurdish teachers used to receive. The justification of this move by the KRG is that it is amending the level of salaries and allowances in Iraqi Kurdistan to bring them in line with the rest of Iraq.
Affan Nakshabandi the head of the KTU union said “we submitted a request to the KRG Prime Minister to reverse this unjust decision and restore the pay allowance to Kurdish teacher. The request also stated that if the union request is not met then the KTU threatens that will hold full strike action at the start of next academic year, September 2008 across all provinces of Kurdistan/Iraq”.
The Iraqi journalists union (IJU) hold its national conference today in Baghdad, to cement the struggle to unify the union, to campaign for the safety and security of Iraqi Journalists, and for creation of democratic and federal Iraq.
Conference will debate and adopt policies for the renewal of the IJU and for building of an independent, strong and unified Iraqi Journalists Union capable of defending journalists’ rights for free trade unions representations.
Conference will urge athourties to stop their interferencei and allow journalists the right to work free. Without free and independent media democracy wither and die.
Confernce will campaign for decent working conditions, decent wage and for women's rights to equal trade union representation.
Confernce will elect new leadership.