Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq – urgent appeal to trade

 unions and working-class organisations for financial support

Dear friends and supporters of the workers movement

 in Iraq:

In a country where the institutions and structures of civil society have broken down, the task of the 

workers’ movement becomes very difficult. Our federation has been relying almost entirely on 

donations from supporters abroad. Despite this, we have managed to recruit and organise thousands 

of workers, to hold successful conferences and to lead strikes to impose workers’ demands on the 

bosses. These tasks have not been easy, but they have been possible due to our determined stance and

 the determination of the Iraqi working class to build up our union federation, a determination without

 parallel in Iraq’s recent history.  Ours is the first Iraqi union federation that clearly rejects state interference

 in the workers’ movement! Working very hard for two years with almost no resources has been very

 difficult, but we have a very bright history of activism and achievement.  To be able to expand our activities

 and be more effective we urgently need your financial support. We need funds for office rental, staff 

salaries, security, telephones, fax, furniture etc.

For example:

- The rent for our central office in Baghdad is $8000 a year.

- Equipment for the office costs $4000.

- A guard’s salary is about $200 a month; the office needs two guards, resulting in an annual cost of $4800.

- We would like to pay staff in our central office $350 a month – but 

So far all our staff are voluntary!

Looking forward to your support

Yours in struggle

Aso Jabar and Houzan Mahmoud

21.05.2005

 

 

You can send your donations in different ways:

 

You can send cheques to Aso Jabber - abroad representative of FWCUI through the

 following address in Switzerland and in Britain.

 

1. Aso Jabbar, abroad representative of FWCUI

Post Box 8553

3001 Bern-Switzerland

 

2. Donations to UUI in Britain:
Lloyds TSB Bank- Sort code: 30 94 51
Bank Account: 11610268      London UK