Legal expert Ali al-Tamimi explained the main legal and financial challenges facing the proposed new salary scale for Iraqi employees, saying the issue is tied to several older laws that would need major amendments or cancellation.
Speaking to dinaropinions.com, al-Tamimi said the project involves amending Law No. 22 of 2008 and repealing several previous laws. He noted that Article 3 of the current law, which allows the Council of Ministers to adjust salaries based on inflation and price changes, would no longer be workable under the new structure.
He explained that any new salary law must carefully consider all salary levels, including senior positions, while also increasing wages for lower grades in a fair way based on economic studies, oil prices, and market conditions. At the same time, he warned that the law should avoid causing market instability or harming the private sector.
Al-Tamimi stressed the importance of introducing additional legislation related to the private sector, including social security protections, in order to create fairness between public and private sector workers.
According to him, one of the biggest reasons behind the proposed reform is the large gap in salaries between employees, even among workers with similar qualifications or specializations. He said the goal should be fairness for everyone rather than improving one group’s situation at the expense of another.
He also called for salary increases for social welfare recipients, people with disabilities, and retirees as part of broader reforms.
Al-Tamimi added that the proposed salary scale is closely connected to the planned Federal Civil Service Law, which could replace around 100 older laws and create a unified employment system for the country. He said this would help Iraq move away from the outdated Civil Service Law No. 24 of 1960.
He clarified that the salary scale law is separate from the federal budget law, although the government could still allocate funding for it within the budget. He also emphasized the need for strong consumer protection measures and anti-monopoly controls to prevent price increases after salaries are adjusted.
Finally, he stressed that any salary tables included in the law must be accurate, balanced, and free from unfair differences to ensure the reforms achieve real fairness across the public sector.
