Wool industry workers demonstrate inside Industry Ministry
March 6. More than a hundred workers
of the General Company of Wool Industry in Baghdad
demonstrated inside the premises of the Industry Ministry. The demonstration
came in response to a statement issued by a group of labour activists. The
statement was distributed to all factories owned by the company: the Alfatah factory, the Wahid Ayar
factory, the Tag mechanical factory, the factory of spare parts and the Alhuryiah factory. The statement raised the following
demands:
- Fund all companies belonging to the Industrial
Ministry centrally rather than having each factory depend on self-funding.
- Protect national production by stopping imports
of similar commodities and marketing products through the ministry.
- Upgrade all production lines to international
standards
- Grant the employees of the company allotments of
land
- Reinstate danger and distance allowances.
- Sack Baathist elements
from the Ministry and companies it owns and operates
- Establish a special committee inside each company
to fight against corruption
A delegation from the demonstrating
workers negotiated with Sami Alaarachi,
Deputy Minister of Industry and Minerals. Alaarachi
promised the workers he would study their demands.
This outraged the demonstrating
workers who are exasperated that the managers of these companies are
procrastinating in meeting their demands. They also believe managers are
planning to buy the companies after they are privatised by the administration.
The statement called for a 2 –day
demonstration inside the ministry building. Workers warned ministry officials
that they will go in strike if their demands are not met.
Federation of
Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq –FWCUI
March 2005