Employment
The Labour Law 2015, which brought Iraq closer to ILO standards
Labour Law No. 37 of 2015 replaced the 1987 code, recognised the right to organise, prohibited forced labour and discrimination, and introduced regulation of individual dismissal.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Federal, with Kurdistan Region variations in administration.
Governing law
- Labour Law No. 37 of 2015
- Social Security and Pensions Law No. 39 of 1971, replaced by Law No. 18 of 2023 for the private sector
In practice
The 2015 law was a substantial modernisation: it covers the private sector, sets a 48-hour week, provides for written contracts, restricts dismissal without cause, and — importantly — permits trade union organisation, reversing the 1987 position that had made most workers state employees ineligible to unionise. The 2023 private sector social security law extended pension and injury coverage to private employees, which is a significant recent change. Public sector employment remains under separate civil service rules. Enforcement capacity through the labour inspectorate is limited, so the gap between statute and practice is wide.