As part of an effort by the Dhi Qar Social Forum to raise awareness about the Iraqi Labor Law No. 37 of 2015, a special training session was held involving 16 activists. Together they aimed to understand better the details of the law and how it directly impacts the lives of workers and society in general. The training took place from 2-3 August at the Dhi Qar Social Forum in Nasiriyah.

On the first day of the training, participants reviewed a number of important aspects of the law: its objectives and validity and its basic principles, paying special attention to Article 42 which discusses the rights and duties of the worker. The trainees were divided into three groups, each of which came away with a firm grasp of the fundamentals of the Iraqi labor law.

On the second day, participants discussed the articles of the law which relate to working hours, holidays (official and informal), workers’ wages and the protection of working women and minors. The trainees were again divided into three groups so that they could explore these issues in detail, especially article 92 of the Labor Code which states that working hours should not exceed 8 hours/day.

This training session relates directly to a new campaign by the Dhi Qar social forum called “Know Your Rights”. This campaign aims to introduce workers who are members of trade unions to their rights as specified in this law. The hope is that trade union activity will expand allowing for greater cooperation between civil society and trade unions within the Dhi Qar governorate.

At the end of the training, participants expressed their opinions to others in their community, stressing the importance of knowing and activating the rights that are due to all workers. Their hope is to improve the working conditions for Iraqis, who have suffered a long period of neglect and endured many crises.

This activity comes within the framework of the “We Love You, Iraq” project, which is implemented by the Information Center for Research and Development in cooperation with the Italian organization, Un Ponte Per… and the Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative. Additional support comes from the Swiss organization FAI, within the space of the Iraqi Social Forum.

Nasir Baqer

Dhi Qar Social Forum