Violation of workers’ rights continues in Iraq

After the Iraqi government issued resolution 16 in 2004 which installed one federation as the official and legal representative of labour movement in Iraq, our Federation lodged a complain to the International labour Organization which accepted the complain and regard resolution 16 a violation of international standards and agreements. This committee addressed the Iraqi authority but never received any reply.

The above mentioned complain was attached with a report on the conditions of workers under the occupation and the fact that the current government continue to enforce the oppressive laws of Baath regime which consider workers public servants and deprive them of the right of formation unions.

Despite banning us from activity for being unofficial and unrecognized by state and despite many discriminative resolutions issued by prime minister Ayad Allawi which endorse resolution 16 and authorize the governmental federation to put hand on all property and assets of previous federation collected from workers over decades, which therefore belongs to the workers themselves and no government has the right to confiscate it or give it to its representatives and followers.

Despite all these obstacles our federation continued to organize workers and lead their daily struggle.

As the result of the prominent and sensible activity of our federation and after large numbers of workers join it in many sectors deserting the official union and establishing branches for the FWCUI in a democratic process to get rid of the traditions of past which severely restrict workers’ freedoms. The administrations in cooperation with official federation have threatened our unionist activists and carders. These threats included threatening workers who have joint the Federation of Workers’ Council and Unions in Iraq with sacking like what happened in the National Company for Petrochemical and Plastic Manufactures. Many unionist activists from General Company for Cotton Industry were also punished. The al-Najibia electricity office threatened Raad mahmood, and Haydar Abdulla that they will transferred to a remote place if they continue their unionist activity.

The federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq is a labour organization which represents workers of Iraq in all provinces and has members from all religions and nationalities in Iraq and in this sense is a glimpse of hope and a step on the path of liberation and building a civil society.

We consider any threat and resolution against our federation a blatant violation of workers’ freedom and bringing to the force the practices of former regime.

We call on international Labour organizations and human right organizations to intervene and exert pressure on the Iraqi authorities and support our federation as a progressive labour organization.

Falah Alwan

President of the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq

Baghdad

April 25, 2005