Iraqi unions say thwarted by all sides

[Robbien]

WASHINGTON, June 14 (Reuters) - Iraqi trade unionists called on Tuesday for a bigger voice in Iraq where they said they were targeted for attacks by insurgents and intimidated by the U.S and Iraqi military.

Six leaders of the Iraqi trade union movement, who said they represent hundreds of thousands of workers in Iraq, are on a two-week visit to the United States to raise the profile of their groups. "We need to get our voices heard and by coming to the United States we hope this will happen," said Adnan Rashed, executive officer of the Union of Mechanics, Printing and Metal Workers. "We are trying so hard to organize workers and make our lives better," he said, adding he hoped the new Iraqi constitution would take workers' rights into account.

Brought to the United States by a group called U.S. Labor Against the War, which opposed the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the union leaders also called for foreign forces to leave.

Speaking at a news conference translated from Arabic, the unionists said their attempts to mobilize workers were being thwarted by all sides -- from foreign companies working in Iraq to insurgents and the U.S. and Iraqi military. Rashed said at least 10 of their unionists had been killed and tortured by insurgents and others were constantly harassed and intimidated for trying to mobilize workers. Union offices have been shut down and raided, and eight activists were arrested by U.S. forces in 2003 and held for seven months until they were released, said Rashed.

"We have a very difficult time," said Rashed.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14177333.htm

[SteppingRazor]

1. Iraqi Trade unions? Oh puh-lease.

These guys are so screwed I can't even begin to imagine it. The US hates them (just like Bush hates American unions and workers), the Iraqi puppet gov't hates them, and the insurgents hate them (they smack of socialism, something a fundamentalist can't tolerate). I can't imagine anyone more screwed from the get-go than an Iraqi unionist. I really pity these guys.

[DBoon]

3. I recall a news story about the Iraqi Communist Party HQ getting bombed

for being too "pro US"!!!

[Itsthetruth]

7. They Don't Want Your Pity

They deserve your support and the support of all progressives who want a democratic and secular Iraq and an end to the occupation.

[Barrett808]

2. Here's the tour schedule

http://uslaboragainstwar.org/calendar.php

[struggle4progress]

12. "... They recognised that an injury to one is an injury to all and ..

.. and therefore acted together in defense of justice and a common human decency ..."

Nelson Mandela – Nobel Lecture
http://nobelprize.org/peace/laureates/1993/mandela-lecture.html

[geek tragedy]

4. They're the true progressives AND patriots of Iraq.

Their offices are raided and their members are harassed by the US. The insurgents try to assassinate them, and people like George Galloway call them "quislings" and refer to their tales of suffering under Saddam as "party tricks."

These are the people I'm cheering for. Not Sistani, not Chalabi, not Allawi, not Bush, not Sadr, not the ex-Baathists, not the fundies.

[Barrett808]

5. Did Galloway really call Iraqi trade unionists "quislings"?

Seems out of character for him.

[geek tragedy]

6. Here's one article from the Independent (reprinted)

http://www.labourfriendsofiraq.org.uk/archives/000147.html

<snip>
The murder of Hadi Saleh demands the most serious political and moral accounting by every member of StWC leadership. For the StWC leaders were warned months ago. The ex-Aslef leader, Mick Rix, when he resigned from the Stop the War Coalition Steering Committee in October 2004, commented on the “deliberate, archaic, violent, and plain downright stupid” language the StWC leaders used when describing Hadi’s organisation. The IFTU had been called ‘collaborators’ by the StWC officers, ‘quislings’ by leading StWC member George Galloway MP (comments picked up and published in the Arab Press), and a ‘fake’ union by the newspaper of Lindsey German, the Convenor of the Stop the War Coalition, Socialist Worker.
<snip>

[Barrett808]

8. Wow. Well, I'm not sure what to make of this

I mean, how can anyone vilify the IFTU?

[geek tragedy]

9. They worked with Allawi in order to help establish the labor movement

in Iraq. Not that they had much of a choice, but that makes them Bush-loving, imperialist boot-licking traitorous scum in certain people's eyes.

[Itsthetruth]

10. Just A Bit Of Sectarianism

Just a bit of political sectarianism and confusion on the part of a few people "on the left". That's what is involved.

Please read the USLAW Statement on Iraqi Labor Solidarity Tour
for detailed information on the Iraqi labor unions and released on May 31, 2005 at this link:

http://uslaboragainstwar.org/article.php?list=type&type=78

[annabanana]

14. me too I think..... If we were actually serious

about helping a genuine civil society grow there, we would encourage unions.

[geek tragedy]

15. A free, secular, and democratic Iraq will arise in spite of US efforts,

not because of them.

[krkaufman]

11. They've got a tough row to hoe

I'm sure the IMF and the neocon Free Marketeers have them targeted for extinction.

[NYC]

13. They'll be in NYC on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Friday, June 17th, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

1199 S.E.I.U.
330 West 42nd Street, 9th Floor

[carincross]

16. Re-read "Baghdad Year Zero" by Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein explains how the US tried to re-create the Iraq economy in the image of the neo-cons. It would be a pure Capitalist society with everything privatized and without such inconveniences as labor unions. The article, "Baghdad Year Zero," was originally published in Harper's Magazine in September 2004 and is now available at various places on the Internet.

[K-W]

17. I have very bad news for these people.

Unions dont fare well in the US empire.