Sulaimani educators, health workers to end strike: officials
SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Sulaimani’s Education Department appears to have reached a deal with striking teachers to resume classes within 24 hours while the provincial branch of the Kurdistan Health Syndicate announced the conditional end of their strike.
“In the remaining 32 days, we can study some of the curriculum and then have exams on May 14, two days after Iraqi elections,” Bakir Mohammed, head of Sulaimani’s Eastern Education Department, told Rudaw.
The director general of the Education Department met on Tuesday with principals of the province’s schools in a bid to end the strike that has shuttered the bulk of Sulaimani’s classrooms for this semester.
Rudaw has learned that most school principals agreed to end the strikes.
Tents set up by protesting civil servants, led by especially teachers, in front of Sulaimani’s court will be removed and schools have partially resumed studies in the province.
“When salaries are paid and teachers have returned to the schools, then we will start our work. The Education Directorate will take measures against those teachers who decide not to return,” Dilshad Majid, the principal of Diyarbakir School, told Rudaw.
Though there is not enough time left in the school year to cover the remaining curriculum, teachers have been given permission to make adjustments so students study as much as is needed for the end-of-year examinations.
“We worked a lot to satisfy the teachers. If the salaries are paid on time and teachers return, then I can assure you that the education process will be completed,” Hawkar Karim, head of Sulaimani’s Examinations, told Rudaw.
The Sulaimani branch of the Kurdistan Health Syndicate announced a temporary end to their strike action in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Taking into consideration the response of the regional government to distribute salaries under the new system, the critical [nature] of the health sector, and the mounting victims resulting from closed hospitals, we have decided to suspend the strike temporarily upon the following conditions,” a representative of the syndicate told journalists.
The list of conditions includes salaries paid every 30 days, beginning on Wednesday, while the government takes steps towards eliminating the austerity system altogether.
The syndicate also wants information about the two years of unpaid salaries and for the government to undertake to employ volunteers working in the province’s hospitals.
The syndicate acknowledged that some people have died during the strike and the spokesperson apologized to the people, saying they never wanted to see the closure of critical health services.
"We from the beginning as the syndicate have never supported the closure of critical locations and we have reiterated that the lives of the people must not be endangered,” he said.
"We as the syndicate ask all the members and the cadres of health to go back to their work starting from tomorrow,” he added.
"We have been told tomorrow is pay day – we have spoken to all the accountants. We have received assurances. Whatever the promises made, if the Regional Government and the accounting units do not distribute salaries, we will have other stances,” the syndicate spokesperson vowed.
Civil servants en masse walked off the job across the Kurdistan Region last week, protesting the salary-saving system that has slashed their wages for the past two years.
The government announced they would amend the unpopular austerity measure and reduce the amount deducted from the salaries of public employees.
Some teachers, however, have said they will remain on strike until the salary-saving system is abolished entirely.
Officials at the education department warned that teachers who don’t end their protest action could be replaced.
The head of Sulaimani’s Education Department on Monday made an emotional plea for teachers to end their strike because studies for this year were at risk.
“In the remaining 32 days, we can study some of the curriculum and then have exams on May 14, two days after Iraqi elections,” Bakir Mohammed, head of Sulaimani’s Eastern Education Department, told Rudaw.
The director general of the Education Department met on Tuesday with principals of the province’s schools in a bid to end the strike that has shuttered the bulk of Sulaimani’s classrooms for this semester.
Rudaw has learned that most school principals agreed to end the strikes.
Tents set up by protesting civil servants, led by especially teachers, in front of Sulaimani’s court will be removed and schools have partially resumed studies in the province.
“When salaries are paid and teachers have returned to the schools, then we will start our work. The Education Directorate will take measures against those teachers who decide not to return,” Dilshad Majid, the principal of Diyarbakir School, told Rudaw.
Though there is not enough time left in the school year to cover the remaining curriculum, teachers have been given permission to make adjustments so students study as much as is needed for the end-of-year examinations.
“We worked a lot to satisfy the teachers. If the salaries are paid on time and teachers return, then I can assure you that the education process will be completed,” Hawkar Karim, head of Sulaimani’s Examinations, told Rudaw.
The Sulaimani branch of the Kurdistan Health Syndicate announced a temporary end to their strike action in a press conference on Tuesday.
“Taking into consideration the response of the regional government to distribute salaries under the new system, the critical [nature] of the health sector, and the mounting victims resulting from closed hospitals, we have decided to suspend the strike temporarily upon the following conditions,” a representative of the syndicate told journalists.
The list of conditions includes salaries paid every 30 days, beginning on Wednesday, while the government takes steps towards eliminating the austerity system altogether.
The syndicate also wants information about the two years of unpaid salaries and for the government to undertake to employ volunteers working in the province’s hospitals.
The syndicate acknowledged that some people have died during the strike and the spokesperson apologized to the people, saying they never wanted to see the closure of critical health services.
"We from the beginning as the syndicate have never supported the closure of critical locations and we have reiterated that the lives of the people must not be endangered,” he said.
"We as the syndicate ask all the members and the cadres of health to go back to their work starting from tomorrow,” he added.
"We have been told tomorrow is pay day – we have spoken to all the accountants. We have received assurances. Whatever the promises made, if the Regional Government and the accounting units do not distribute salaries, we will have other stances,” the syndicate spokesperson vowed.
Civil servants en masse walked off the job across the Kurdistan Region last week, protesting the salary-saving system that has slashed their wages for the past two years.
The government announced they would amend the unpopular austerity measure and reduce the amount deducted from the salaries of public employees.
Some teachers, however, have said they will remain on strike until the salary-saving system is abolished entirely.
Officials at the education department warned that teachers who don’t end their protest action could be replaced.
The head of Sulaimani’s Education Department on Monday made an emotional plea for teachers to end their strike because studies for this year were at risk.