Staff members of the Samawah Technical Institute and the Muthanna College of Petroleum and Energy Engineering, both part of the Middle Euphrates Technical University, staged a large, peaceful sit-in in solidarity with their counterparts in universities across Iraq. They were protesting the decision to cut university allowances, a measure recommended by the Ministerial Economic Council. The staff members emphasized that this decision infringes upon a fundamental legal right that cannot be violated by administrative decree.
During his visit to the sit-in, the Dean of the Samawah Technical Institute, Professor Sabah Mohammed Al-Mutawgi, expressed his solidarity with the staff, noting that university service allowances are stipulated in an existing law and cannot be revoked or amended except through legislation passed by the Council of Representatives. He stressed that any action to the contrary constitutes a violation of the principle of legal precedence and an infringement upon acquired rights.
For their part, the protesters explained that the financial challenges facing the country should not come at the expense of higher education, which is a cornerstone of societal development and progress. The participants stressed that their action comes within the framework of legitimate peaceful protest, in defense of the law and the constitution, calling on the concerned authorities to reconsider the decision and ensure the preservation of the rights of university affiliates in a way that promotes job fairness and institutional stability.