Iraq Parliament Speaker Urges PM to Submit Public Sector Salary Bill

Iraq’s Parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi has called on Prime Minister Ali Fayyad Zidi to submit a draft law on state employee and public sector salaries to parliament, as lawmakers press ahead with efforts to update the pay scale and reduce wage disparities among citizens. The move is aimed at addressing the impact of prolonged inflation on public servants’ purchasing power. Al-Halbusi said the 2008 State Employees and Public Sector Salaries Law and the 2015 Salary Scale Decision have long gone without the necessary amendments. He said the current framework no longer reflects economic conditions that have significantly eroded the real value of salaries. He said the draft would strengthen employment and social stability and reinforce justice and equality across different segments of society. Parliament is continuing work on updating the salary scale for state employees as part of those efforts. The initiative comes as Iraq faces growing pressure to reform public sector pay in line with rising living costs. Lawmakers have framed the issue as both an economic and social priority, given its effect on household incomes and public confidence.