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Those
Iraqi labor leaders mentioned last week in the OD are continuing
their tour across the US seeking help from US workers and
unions.
In Pittsburg they joined with counterparts
from the United Steelworkers
to decry working conditions in Iraq and to call for international support. Falah
Awan, president of the Federation of Workers Councils
and Unions of Iraq (FWCUI) said Iraqi workers are fired at will and have no control over
their working hours. He said women and children are being exploited
in the Iraqi economy and that the
government of Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari is doing nothing
about it. He said those in power, "…don't respect any human value
in
this society.
According to the Pittsburgh Business Times Amjad
Ali Aljawhry, a FWCUI representative who lives in
exile in Canada said Iraq's
economy is in shambles with unemployment, "…as high as 70
percent." He added that workers
in his country have no health or safety
standards.
In Chicago, Amjad Ali Aljawhry told listeners, "After 27 months of occupation,
"…our federation stands for immediate withdrawal of troops immediately." He added,
"Since day one of occupation Iraqi people have not seen one single
moment of peace." He told of the
desperate living conditions of a people suffering from ethnic divisions, insurgent suicide bombers
and with regards to the democracy the
Bush Administration has proclaimed, "…we (have) never seen anything promised.
Falah Awan shared similar
sentiments when he explained "…the occupying troops have installed a government
based on ethnic and religious
divisions...
Awani said it was bad under Saddam Hussein whom he
in no way defended.
However, he charged, "… the U.S. occupation set corruption free. As a result, poor and unsafe
living conditions are the
consequences. More than half of the country's population
Iraqi
women and children cannot leave their homes without a male, family member
escorting them. He adds, "This is the democracy we've been promised."
Alwan explained that he feels it is the workers of Iraq who must eventually restore civil society.
In Los Angeles Hassan Juma'a Awad and Faleh Abbood Umara spoke to labor
leaders and activists at the Harry Bridges Institute & Community Labor Center in San Pedro. The Daily Breeze reports Umara,
48, general secretary of the oil union said, "I ask you to
help us pressure your administration
to remove its forces in Iraq so we can rebuild our country. If they mention the
security situation, I say
that we are brothers in Iraq. And brothers can fight, but brothers can
reconcile."
Umara said people face extreme dangers just trying
to get to work. He said it's common
for American troops to shoot at Iraqi cars for driving too close. "It's like
the occupation forces are the people of the land and we're the
foreigners," Umara said. "If you
complain,
you may end up in Abu Ghraib, and you don't know
what will happen to you
there."
Awad dismissed the idea of an impending civil war
between Shiites and
minority Sunnis." Who is talking about war?" Awad
said. "I am 53 years
old, and I didn't hear about Sunni and Shiite (divisions) before the occupation forces entered. I am
Shiite, but I'm married
to a Sunni woman."
The two men expressed concerns over the attacks on labor
in the new Iraq and the push for privatization of
state owned industries. "My understanding is that unions don't
get their legitimacy from the government.
Unions rely only on the workers," Awad, 53,
said with a
defiant tone. "We decided to organize ourselves without relying on the laws."
In San Jose on Sunday Hassan Juma'a
Awad Al Asade, chief of
the General Union of Oil Employees
executive branch said, ``The American administration
claims it is bringing democracy and freedom and human rights to Iraq,. This is the third year of
occupation and we see no
improvement in our situation.'' He told the San Jose Mercury
News
that while most Iraqis were glad to see Saddam out, they now viewed the
Americans as occupiers.
Peace activists and union members attended a presentation at the headquarters of
the Service Employees International Union Local 715 in San Jose.
Both Awad and Abbood Umara spoke out in San Jose against U.S.
efforts to privatize all Iraqi businesses
except for the oil industry. Among
other things, workers fear privatization would drive high unemployment even higher.
``Privatization is a kind word but the substance of it is to transfer public property to private
property,'' said Juma'a Awad
Al Asade.
``People with wealth and capital will go up, and the rest of the classes will go down and there
will be elimination of the middle
class.''
The touring labor leaders have had harsh words for
insurgents who they
say are targeting union leaders. In fact, New Standard says, "Rebels have reportedly killed
at least ten unionists, including Ali Hassan Abd, a member of the Oil
and Gas Union, and
Hadi Salih, international
secretary of the Iraqi Federation of Trade
Unions." There are also numerous reports of insurgents harassing workers
trying to organize themselves and others while several labor leaders have been kidnapped. The insurgents
accuse the union leaders
of collaboration with the occupation and an illegitimate Iraqi government. Sources: San Jose Mercury News, Pittsburg Business
Times, Scoop (NZ), Daily Breeze (Torrance, CA), New Standard
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