Federation of Worker Councils and Unions in Iraq Statement Regarding Damascus Agreement among Groups of Iraqi Trade Unions:

The unification of labor movement cannot be achieved through partisan deals far from the worker class

Ever since launching the formation of our unions, we have declared that this is a worker issue and the authorities must not intervene. It is a right the workers gained as a fruit of their struggle throughout the history. This right has been recognized by the international treaties and standards in which the rules to the international labor movement were set.

in view of the fact that the unions existed under the former regime were to suppress the workers and serve its vicious policy towards the workers, we have found ourselves facing a huge pile of fascist traditions inherited to the labor unions from the former regime and the impossibility of having strong unions unless building labor organizations from the ground up, meaning that organizing workers in their workplaces and plants free of partisan or authoritarian suppression.

A union called Iraq federation of trade unions known as (IFTU) was formed; tasks and posts were distributed among three parties based on partisan quota without even relating to the workers themselves.

The former union known as General federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) however continued working, among them former bath members. This union split into two parts one of them was supported by Islamic Supreme Council and the other was supported by the Arab nationalist and pro Baath members.

All these parties have gone through lengthy conflict and contention over who has the right to represent the labor movement. Our federation however continued forming its organizations among the workers in the workplaces and was always clashing with the decrees enacted by the current government provided for the IFTU is the only and official union in Iraq and the former regime’s decrees that deter the workers from exercising their rights as unionists in the public sector.

We have put forward the issue of unifying the labor movement and suggested a general and open conference to include all unions in Iraq under a name of (general Iraqi work conference) as a step forward to build a modern and contemporary labor movement.

The international federation of the Arab trade unions has organized meetings between three of Iraqi trade unions and cut a deal to unify them under one name and one executive bureau.

Our union does not oppose any attempt to unify the labor movement however cutting deals with unions supported by the government and political powers and intentionally ignoring one of the largest unions in Iraq is proving nothing but to contain the labor movement. it is an attempt to suppress and marginalize the actual power to install a puppet unions as they were under the former regime.

We consider Damascus agreement that excluded unions disagree with the parties’ represented in that meeting is an act that contradict with the labor movement amalgamation, and it further serves the policy of distancing the workers of making their own choice to determine their own fate.

We call upon the Iraqi workers to join their union, Federation of worker councils and unions in Iraq

Also we ask the unions who signed that agreement to go back to the workers before making decision in their names

Moreover we demand that the government must respect the freedom of association and workers’ rights

Federation of worker councils and unions in Iraq

December 12, 2005