International Workers’ Day: Iraqi unions decry poor conditions and broken promises

Iraqi labour unions and workers on Thursday voiced growing frustration over poor working conditions, high unemployment and the slow implementation of legal protections — despite government assurances of reform.

While politicians and officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, extended their congratulations to workers, many Iraqis say words are not enough. Labour representatives accuse private sector employers of failing to uphold key provisions of the country's labour law, particularly regarding workplace safety and social security coverage.

Speaking on Thursday,  al-Sudani reiterated the government’s commitment to labour rights, announcing that insured private sector workers would now be eligible for the same access to housing plots and government-backed loans as public sector employees. He also highlighted recent reforms, including the Labour Law of 2015 and the Social Security and Retirement Law of 2023, as cornerstones of Iraq’s effort to modernise working conditions.

However, the prime minister acknowledged that "a large portion of Iraq’s workers remain without social security" and promised further efforts to ensure comprehensive coverage. He also reaffirmed the government’s plan to enforce local product protection laws and improve labour inspections.
Despite such pledges, workers say conditions on the ground tell a different story.

Chalak Rauf, head of the Sulaimaniyah branch of the Kurdistan Workers’ Union, told The New Arab that 14 workers have died so far in 2025 due to unsafe conditions — four of them in Sulaimaniyah alone. Most of the deceased, he said, were foreign labourers working without adequate safety protections.

Rauf described widespread violations of labour laws in the private sector.

"Business owners are not implementing the law. There are no proper contracts. Workers are pushed to do extra hours for minimum wages without safety measures. Some are paid daily or replaced with foreign workers who accept half-wages," he said.

He blamed the region’s high unemployment partly on the influx of foreign workers — from other parts of Iraq, Iran and several Asian countries — who often work informally, without insurance or legal protections, undercutting local labourers.

TNA spoke with several Kurdish workers who said they struggle to find more than one day of work per week. Many pointed to competition from Syrian and Iranian workers as a key factor in their joblessness.

"We’ve filed hundreds of complaints with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), and although some businesses have been penalised, enforcement remains weak," Rauf added.

Hiwa Saeed, a blacksmith working at a construction site in Sulaimaniyah, told TNA he occasionally uses safety harnesses but often goes without them. "If I fall, who will feed my family?" he asked. He urged the authorities to include construction workers in insurance schemes. "The ministry has enough budget, but it hasn’t helped any worker in need of emergency surgery," he claimed.

TNA contacted Aryan Ahmed, spokesperson for the KRG Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, but he was unavailable for comment.
According to Rauf, current labour regulations under the KRG do not cover workers in housing or construction projects, leaving many of the most vulnerable labourers unprotected.

On Thursday afternoon, workers’ unions organised a rally in Sulaimaniyah calling for stronger legal guarantees.

"In Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, labour laws are weak and unenforced. Workers are often unpaid, and safety is ignored," said Nazhad Ali, a member of the Democratic Movement of the People of Kurdistan.

In response to rising concerns over unemployment and competition from foreign workers, the Iraqi government’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs announced on Tuesday a temporary suspension of worker recruitment from five countries: Syria, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines.

The government has also reiterated its policy requiring that 80% of the workforce in any project must be Iraqi, with only 20% allowed to be foreign workers — a regulation aimed at boosting local employment amid widespread joblessness.

While officials continue to promise reform, workers say real change will only come when labour laws are fully implemented and enforced across both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.