Letter from Iraqi Oil Union

General Union of Oil Employees- Basrah
TO: American Labour Against the War

Subject: Thanks and appreciation

I begin by saying peace be upon you; you who have stood against war and for peace. In my capacity as president of the union of oil-sector employees in Basrah, and in the name of the executive bureau of the union, we extend to you our immense thanks and gratitude to your militant organisation, which took a serious stand against the war and for peace, because peace is the foundation in this turbulent world. We put on the record our thanks and great appreciation and may God bless you in doing good and for peace to prevail in the whole world, including our wounded country, the great Iraq; the Iraq of love and fraternity. From this standpoint we see it as necessary that our work is based on full cooperation and coordination to lay the democratic foundation of trade union work. We want to express our full confidence in being the link in the cooperation to combine the power of the Iraqi working class with the power of the American working class opposed to war and destruction.

You no doubt are aware that the former regime dissolved the unions using a draconian law (edict number 150, 1987) that changed the status of workers to civil servants, in order to control the working class and its wealth, and to distort its identity. Since that day the working class hasn't been able to exercise its most basic rights. On 20 April 2003, after the defeat of the tyrant, activisits in the oil sector re-established the oil workers' union and we started, for the first time in Iraq, to elect a union committee in free and democratic manner. Today, the oil trade union constitutes the greater weight of workers in southern Iraq. The union's executive bureau was formed to represent ten unions formed in the oil companies working in the south. It also includes 30 union committees at work places within Basrah, Misan aand Thi Qar.

We stress that we stood against the vile occupation, which has soiled our dignity. We continue to be strongly opposed to the repressive acts of the American, British and multinational forces committed against our people in Iraq's cities, and the flagrant aggression against our national economy, which has been destroyed by war. This wounded country's infrastructure has been destroyed and the occupation forces is responsible for the greater part of this destruction. The occupation forces have not shown any initiative to rebuild the country and they have not allowed the people who want the good of the country to engage in re-construction. This is because of repressive laws that do not serve the production processes. There is a simple reason for their non-cooperation in rebuilding the oil production facilities: Iraqi cadres have rejected their presence which made them obstruct the delivery of reconstruction equipment. This is particularly true of KBR company.

Finally, I extend my thanks and appreciation for standing by us for the sake of peace. I pledge that this letter is not the last, but we will be in constant touch. I would like to tell you that you are welcome in Iraq any time you like.

Peace and God's blessings be upon you.

Hassan Juma'a Awad
President of the General Union of the Oil Sector Employees in Basrah