Kurdistan Region Public Employees File Lawsuit Over Salary Suspension

PUKMEDIA

Iraqi Federal Supreme Court.

Public sector employees in the Kurdistan Region have filed a lawsuit with Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court over the ongoing delays in the payment of their salaries.

In a statement issued today, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed that it had received a formal complaint from public employees in the Kurdistan Region, requesting the continuation and timely disbursement of their wages.

The plaintiffs have called on the court to issue a federal order compelling the Iraqi Ministry of Finance to implement existing court rulings and disburse the Kurdistan Region's public employees' salaries. They have also urged the court to oblige both the Prime Ministers of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to nationalise (Tawtin) the payment of public sector salaries—ensuring salaries are distributed via state banks through a unified, centralised system.

The lawsuit is grounded in Federal Court Decision No. 224 and the Consolidated Federal Court Decision No. 269 of 2023, issued on 21 February 2024.

The Federal Supreme Court stated that it would respond to the lawsuit and issue a decision as soon as possible.

The Iraqi Minister of Finance announced in a letter dated 29 May 2025 that the federal government would no longer allocate public salaries to the Kurdistan Region, citing the full disbursement of its share of the federal budget for the years 2023 to 2025. The decision has drawn criticism from numerous Kurdish parties, who labelled it unconstitutional.

On Saturday, 31 May 2025, several Kurdish political parties held an emergency meeting to issue a unified statement condemning the move as politically motivated and a direct threat to the wellbeing of the Kurdistan Region’s population.

“The federal authorities are constitutionally bound to honour their financial obligations to the people of the Kurdistan Region,” the statement read. “Weaponising economic policy to exert political pressure is unacceptable and undermines regional stability.”

Dr. Majid Mohammed Amin, a member of the PUK Leadership Council who participated in the high-level meeting held in Pirmam, spoke to the press following the discussions. He revealed that withdrawal from Baghdad had been considered but ultimately dismissed.

“Withdrawal is not the answer. The solution lies in Baghdad. At this point, negotiations remain our only effective instrument,” he stated.



PUKMEDIA