ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The head of the Kurdistan United Workers’ Union told The New Region on Friday that it has submitted a list of proposals to the Kurdistan Regional Government calling for reduced working hours and guarantees of 75 percent local employment in workplaces, coming as leaders in Erbil and Baghdad marked International Labour Day.

“We call on the relevant government authorities to implement workers' duties and rights in accordance with the current guidelines and active decisions," Hangaw Abdullah, head of the Kurdistan United Workers’ Union, told The New Region on Friday.

The syndicate said it has submitted a suggestion letter calling for reducing weekly working hours from 48 to 42 and ensuring that at least 75 percent of workers in projects are local hires.

It also said the provision of marriage bonuses, housing units, and residential land plots; setting the hourly wage at more than 4,000 Iraqi dinars; and resolving the permanent employment status of contract workers in government institutions were among the requests submitted to the authorities.

It also emphasized that labor laws, retirement regulations, and social welfare entitlements should be incorporated into legal studies curricula at universities and institutes.

"We are making every possible effort to protect the rights of workers in Kurdistan,” Abdullah said. 

On the occasion of International Labour Day, Kurdish and Iraqi leaders marked the occasion by honoring workers’ efforts and praising their contributions.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani extended congratulations to "all workers in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and around the world" while praising workers’ contributions to "building a stronger Kurdistan," he said in a post on Facebook. 

"We reaffirm the KRG’s commitment to promoting and protecting workers’ rights and improving their livelihoods and working conditions. We will do all we can to protect them from any injustice and mistreatment," he added.

Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Ali al-Zaidi also reaffirmed Baghdad’s commitment “to protecting workers’ rights and ensuring a safe and dignified work environment that promotes stability and opportunity,” he wrote on X.

He described workers as “a true symbol of productivity and continued growth.” 

Iraq was one of the first countries to join the International Labor Organization in 1932.

Despite this, child labor remains a significant challenge in Iraq. Iraq ranks fourth among Arab nations in the prevalence of child labor, following Yemen, Sudan, and Egypt. This phenomenon impedes children's access to education and compromises their rights.

Iraq's high child labor rates are attributed to economic challenges, including reduced family income, high unemployment and poverty rates, conflicts, displacement, and increased domestic violence against children.