ERBIL — Hundreds of the Iraqi federal government’s civil servants gathered on Saturday in front of the gates of Baghdad's Green Zone, demanding adjustments to their salaries.

Wissam Ahmad, one of the demonstrators, spoke to Iraqi local media about the reason behind the rallies and protests, highlighting the perceived injustice and discrepancies in the salaries of state employees.

"We call on the Iraqi government and parliament to amend the salary scale and equalize it," he stated. "An employee of the Council of Ministers, parliament, and other top government branches receives a monthly salary of three million dinars, while an employee with the same rank and qualifications in other ministries receives a meager 500,000 Iraqi dinars."

Ahmad Munim, a salaried employee of the Ministry of Education, echoed these sentiments saying, "This will not be the first or last demonstration to demand new salary distribution criteria.”

Munim added that the demonstrators' organizing council had met with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani a month ago to discuss amending the salary distribution law. Although he promised action, no steps have been taken so far. Munim warned that if their demands are not met, the protests could escalate into a nationwide strike.

Previously, Iraqi MP Raed al-Maliki accused the cabinet of failing to amend the salary scale for public sector employees and urged the federal government to send the Federal Civil Service Council bill for legislation.