“In light of May 1, the International Workers’ Day, we are extending warm congratulations to all workers in Kurdistan and the world. Today marks a bright day in the history of workers to advocate for their rights and demands in the country,” read the KRG statement.
“Workers are active, dedicated and a productive part of the communities. They have played an effective role in the rebuilding, reconstructing process and for development in the country,” it added.
The KRG stated it “keenly” seeks to assure workers of their rights and desires.
“The government makes serious efforts to improve their lives and to provide more job opportunities, services and their rights,” the KRG stated.
The government also urged the private sector to — in coordination with the relevant government parties — pay more attention to the rights and demands of workers.
The Kurdistan Communist Party organized a demonstration in Erbil at the citadel calling on the government to improve their livelihoods.
“Our calls are related to the current situations in Kurdistan, one of which is making changes to the political economy," Kawa Mahmoud, the head of the Kurdish party, said in a statement to attendees.
Mahmoud added “at this time of election campaigning, all the parties are racing to convince the imperialist countries.”
The US Consulate General in Erbil congratulated workers "who make societies, communities and families more prosperous, whether their labor is paid or unpaid" in a tweet.
Happy #Labor Day! Congratulations to all those who work to make their societies, communities and families more prosperous, whether their labor is paid or unpaid. pic.twitter.com/Kbbk6TdCO2
— U.S. Consulate Erbil (@USConGenErbil) May 1, 2018
International Workers’ Day, also called Labour or May Day, recognizes and celebrates the efforts of the working classes around the world.
Protests rocked the Kurdistan Region for the first three months of 2018. Healthcare workers and teachers struck, demanding the return of their full wages and an end to the salary saving system, an unpopular austerity measure implemented in 2016 following budget cuts by Baghdad.
The system was reformed and then amended to cap salary deductions at 30 percent for high-earners and 10 percent for low-earners. Anyone receiving less than $336 per month will receive their full payment.
Salaries were paid to the civil servants in April; however, KRG interior ministry bodyguards protested in several cities demanding that they be included in the new system. Their demands were then met by the government.
Iraq and Kurdistan’s governments have yet to agree on the terms of an agreement that may allow an oil-for-budget agreement.
Baghdad wants the Kurdistan Region to hand over the export of oil to the central government in return for a share of the Iraqi budget for 2018.
The budget passed by the Iraqi parliament despite the Kurdish opposition puts the Kurdish share at about 12.6 percent, down from 17 percent.
KRG PM Nechirvan Barzani and Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi met on Thursday in Erbil, but no details about budget changes were announced.
Abadi met with workers' syndicates from all of Iraq's provinces on Monday. He emphasized the country is headed into a construction phase, in a reference to the increasing role that workers have to play.
“[Abadi] praised Iraqi competency and added, ‘When I visited the Mosul dam, skilled Iraqi engineers and workers were working successful and obtaining great experience and competing internationally,” read a statement from the PM’s media office.
He emphasized that greater attention will be paid to the youth for more job opportunities — about half of Iraqis are under the age of 33 by most estimates.
“[Abadi] added that we are heading towards a new phase, which is working and building. Fighters were the heroes of the victory phase, and we have the working phase ahead to finish the journey,” his office added.
Abadi announced that the Supreme Alternative Economy Committee will be formed to create a productive economy and to avert a future of oil dependence.
Iraqis will go to the polls to fill 329 parliament seats on May 12.
Last updated at 12:43 p.m.
International Workers’ Day, also called Labour or May Day, recognizes and celebrates the efforts of the working classes around the world.
International Workers’ Day, also called Labour or May Day, recognizes and celebrates the efforts of the working classes around the world.
