Teachers Strike against Delays in Salary / Slemani bancrupt
UPDATED: SLEMANI/ Iraq, KNNC: 6.2.2104 – The Kurdistan Regional Government is facing a huge challenge in providing the monthly salary of many directorates across the region and so far there have been many rallies and demonstrations in the three cities of Hawler, the capital city of the region, Slemani, and Duhok.
Gorran’s Members in the Kurdish Parliament expressed concern with the lack of cash in Slemani’s Banks on 14/1/2014 in the Kurdistan Parliament and published a report criticizing the problems of the budget deficit and offering their support to overcome the problems.
“On Tuesday, we will strike in the Slemani province against the governments indifference in providing our salary. Striking has already started in Khabat district, which belongs to the Duhok Province”Ahmed Kirkuki, Excutive Committee Member of the Kurdistan Teachers Union (KTU), told KNNC. Kirkuki added that KTU supports teachers across the region in demonstrating against the governments carelessness and the teachers rights and that they are ready to employ any civil means of gaining their rights. “In the 1990s, there was not enough money and the KR was under pressure from several directions, including world powers and neighbouring countries. But now the region has money but no plan; therefore, teachers are on strike against the governments ‘no plan’ problems” he charged.
In a unique kind of event, a teacher in the Kalar district, in the Southwest of Slemani province, expressed his concern and said that he is ready to pay the 25 teachers in his school until they receive their salary from the government.
“A teachers strike will harm our students, therefore, I am ready to pay any teacher in my school who needs it, until the government sends their salary” Aram Arf, a school teacher in APO Basic School, told KNNC.
The KTU stated on Sunday that they will go on strike all over the region, if their salaries are not given by 5 February.
Ministry of Education spokes person, Hajara Dawdi, told KNNC that they are not supporting the teachers decision to boycott office work. She said that the Ministry of Education has been in contact with the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the KRG to provide their salary and they decided to send the salaries to the directorates this week. “We have asked the KTU not to boycott office work and to be patient” Dawdi added. The lack of cash in the regions banks first started three months ago when the Central Government threatened to cut the KRG 17% budget and their disquiet about the energy export files and the incomes of oil. – http://knnc.net/en/full-story-17514-28-False#.UvNe-7S7Rk0