To the Iraqi working people:
The Iraqi working people are playing an important role in the development of the new Iraq and are helping in the re-building of Iraq's devastated national economy.
They are taking a full active role in the consolidation of the current political process in order to create a democratic, united and federal state after years of repression and hardship at the hands of the deposed dictatorship of Saddam.
Today our courageous working people are exerting their legitimate rights to assist in the building of a democratic state, to defend the fundamental rights of working people in a free and democratic Iraq.
But today despite our sacrifices and instead of receiving the support they deserve from the new Iraqi state, the Iraqi working people and their legitimate trade unions are subjected to unjust attacks and clear open interference in the internal affairs by the "new" old Iraqi Council of Ministers and some Ministries of the transitional government. Their purpose is to prevent working people from organising free and democratic unions. Saddam Hussein’s anti union Law 150 of 1987 is still being applied.
Our working people across Iraq from Basra, Kirkuk and Babel, Najaf and Messan (Al Amarah) are aware of this repressive manoeuvre against our trade union movement and are determined to exercise their legitimate rights to organise workers in free unions. We declare our resolve that we shall continue to use all democratic means available; strikes, courts procedure and protests to stop this undemocratic practice against workers.
To this end we shall mobilise our working people across Iraq and especially in industries such as Oil, Transport and Docks and in the public sector against this violation of our fundamental rights to organise free from state interference.
The IFTU as a key patriotic component of Iraq society determined to uphold and defend the rights of working people to organise, to representation and to take strike action as stated in the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), condemns this unjust and unprovoked attack against the Iraqi working class.
We also call upon our working people to face head on this old "new" attack by the transitional government, which aims to prevent us from organising freely.
We affirm that the IFTU will continue to be loyal defenders of the rights and aspiration of Iraqi working people for a free, open and democratic society.
IFTU Executive,
Baghdad
25 August 2005
Wednesday, August 31
Iraqi government Decree 875 marks critical moment in post-Saddam politics
The Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions London Office reports on the latest developments in respect of trade union and workers' rights in Iraq.
On 8 August, 2005 The Council of Ministers of the Iraqi Republic issued a Decree No. 875, which was signed by the Cabinet General Secretary and which marks a critical moment in post-Saddam Iraqi politics.
The Decree 875 revokes the former arrangements announced under the Transitional Law, for trade unions to operate and function without undue interference or harassment from the state.
Decree 875 reads:
"The Decree No. 3 issued by the Governing Council in 2004 led to the formation of a government Committee responsible for Labour and Social Rights headed by Naseer al-Charderdi. This Committee is no longer have the responsibility and. In its place a new Committee is established comprising the Ministers of Justice, the Interior, Finance, the Minister of State responsible for the Transitional Assembly, the Minister for Civil Society, and the Minister of National Security.
"This Committee must review all the decisions taken to oversee the implementation of Decree no. 3 since its publication in 2004 and must take control of all monies belonging to the trade unions and prevent them from dispensing any such monies.
"In addition I am proposing a new paper on how trade unions should function, operate and organise."
Signed
Dr Fahdal Abass
(Cabinet General Secretary) 7 August 2005.
This decree was copied to the following:
The Prime Minister of Iraq, Mr al-Jaafri;
The Under Secretary of the Council of Ministers;
All Ministries;
All Ministers of State;
The Supreme Federal Court;
The Council of the Judiciary;
The Head of the implementation Committee of Decree No. 3 (2004), Naseer
al-Charderdi;
All members of the above Committee;
The Cabinet General Secretary
On 8 August, 2005 The Council of Ministers of the Iraqi Republic issued a Decree No. 875, which was signed by the Cabinet General Secretary and which marks a critical moment in post-Saddam Iraqi politics.
The Decree 875 revokes the former arrangements announced under the Transitional Law, for trade unions to operate and function without undue interference or harassment from the state.
Decree 875 reads:
"The Decree No. 3 issued by the Governing Council in 2004 led to the formation of a government Committee responsible for Labour and Social Rights headed by Naseer al-Charderdi. This Committee is no longer have the responsibility and. In its place a new Committee is established comprising the Ministers of Justice, the Interior, Finance, the Minister of State responsible for the Transitional Assembly, the Minister for Civil Society, and the Minister of National Security.
"This Committee must review all the decisions taken to oversee the implementation of Decree no. 3 since its publication in 2004 and must take control of all monies belonging to the trade unions and prevent them from dispensing any such monies.
"In addition I am proposing a new paper on how trade unions should function, operate and organise."
Signed
Dr Fahdal Abass
(Cabinet General Secretary) 7 August 2005.
This decree was copied to the following:
The Prime Minister of Iraq, Mr al-Jaafri;
The Under Secretary of the Council of Ministers;
All Ministries;
All Ministers of State;
The Supreme Federal Court;
The Council of the Judiciary;
The Head of the implementation Committee of Decree No. 3 (2004), Naseer
al-Charderdi;
All members of the above Committee;
The Cabinet General Secretary
IFTU protests military attacks on workers
A US military helicopter indiscriminently attacked workers without any justification gathered in Alawi Al-Hilla district in Baghdad on 15 August 2005, where the Transport and Communication Workers' Union has its head office injuring 26 workers who were taken to hospital.
IFTU strongly condemns this act of violence and is calling on the American miliitary forces in iraq to issue an apology and compensate injured workers.
IFTU is also calling upon Iraq's transitional government to investigate this incident and demand that such incident must not be repeated again by US forces.
IFTU
Baghdad 17 August 2005
IFTU strongly condemns this act of violence and is calling on the American miliitary forces in iraq to issue an apology and compensate injured workers.
IFTU is also calling upon Iraq's transitional government to investigate this incident and demand that such incident must not be repeated again by US forces.
IFTU
Baghdad 17 August 2005
Sunday, August 21
Houzan Mahmoud: Iraq must reject a constitution that enslaves women
Today is the deadline for Iraq's ruling political classes to agree a brand new "constitution" for the country - but don't be deceived, this is likely to be nothing but another false dawn for Iraq's women. Much of the debate over the constitution's main articles has centred on the degree to which Islam will be the source for future laws in Iraq. This spells disaster for Iraq's women, and represents a cave-in to the terrorist Islamist groups who are "committing crimes against humanity" on an almost daily basis, in the words of Amnesty International.
The constitution's drafting committee, like Iraq's legislative assembly, is dominated by religious, ethnic and tribal figures. Committee members have been pushing for Islamic Sharia law to be the sole source of the constitution and there is strong resistance to the incorporation of any human rights standards that are seen as usurping Islamic legal supremacy.
By all accounts, the finished document is going to reflect the growing forced Islamisization of Iraqi life, as the poison of Islamic groups spreads into the mainstream. Supposedly moderate politicians are disastrously disinclined to challenge the increasingly powerful Islamist factions that now hold sway in almost every quarter of post-occupation Iraq. Whether Sunni or Shia; in the current government or in opposition; affiliated directly to al-Qa'ida or to the Jordanian fanatic Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, or are former Baathists who "freelance" as so-called "resistance fighters", what unites Iraq's armed Islamists is a fierce hatred of women that rivals their hatred for US and British "invaders", foreign "infidels" and other assorted enemies.
Across the country, a steady clampdown on women's rights has been going unreported and unchecked by the government. Islamic terrorism is killing and injuring Iraqi women daily, employing among other weapons, acid attacks.
My women's rights group, the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, has been documenting part of the upsurge in violence against women. In March this year, for example, followers of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr targeted an outing of students from Basra University. Playing football and listening to music, the mixed group was attacked in Basra Public Park. One male student was killed trying to defend his female friends against Islamists who literally tore the women's clothes off their bodies. Sadr's men photographed the dishevelled, half-dressed women, and told them that their parents would receive the photos if they didn't refrain in future from "immoral" behaviour.
More widely, professional women have been deliberately targeted and killed - notably in the city of Mosul - and, recently, anti-women Islamists in Baghdad have taken to throwing acid in women's faces and on to their uncovered legs.So-called "honour killings" are rife, as is the kidnapping and rape of women. Beheadings have occurred and women have been sold into sexual servitude. When I was in Baghdad a few months ago, I couldn't go anywhere without a bodyguard. The sense of danger and threat was tangible.
Islamist repression against women is a campaign of "moral" terror. Leaflets, graffiti and verbal warnings in their thousands warn women against going out unveiled, against putting on make-up, and against shaking hands or mixing with men. Female doctors have been prevented from treating male patients, and male doctors warned not to attend to women.This is a recipe for future gender enslavement, second-class citizenship and ignorance. Thousands of female university students have now given up their studies to protect themselves against Islamist threats.
Islamist hostility is contagious and echoed daily in high-level political debate. Currently there is a drive over the "right" of men to have four wives, to make divorce a male preserve and for custody of children to be given to men only. Even women on Iraq's National Assembly - the country's parliament - have been calling for resolutions to allow for the beating of women by their guardians (males relatives, such as husbands or fathers). This is all the outcome of the occupation of Iraq. This has been pursued under the name of liberation, but what we actually see is women increasingly losing their freedom, while political Islamists feel free to terrorise them. The Islamicists pour into this invaded, so-called Muslim land in order, they say, to liberate it; but in reality, neither the US nor the Islamists are our liberators. They both really fight for power and influence in Iraq and in the region.
The January so-called election and today's constitution are all part of the same procedure, which is to legitimate the current installed government in Iraq. It is only in an atmosphere of occupation and terror; they can push their reactionary ideas forward.
The constitution is set to add to a growing fearfulness among Iraqi women, as their rights are passed over or signed away to Islamists hostile to Iraq's entire female population. Women in Iraq face being dragged back into the dark ages. We need to stop this tragedy before it's too late. A constitution based on enslaving women, religious sectarianism, and tribalism must be rejected.
The writer is the UK Head of the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq and co-founder of the Iraq Freedom Congress. e-mail:houzan73@ yahoo.co.uk
The constitution's drafting committee, like Iraq's legislative assembly, is dominated by religious, ethnic and tribal figures. Committee members have been pushing for Islamic Sharia law to be the sole source of the constitution and there is strong resistance to the incorporation of any human rights standards that are seen as usurping Islamic legal supremacy.
By all accounts, the finished document is going to reflect the growing forced Islamisization of Iraqi life, as the poison of Islamic groups spreads into the mainstream. Supposedly moderate politicians are disastrously disinclined to challenge the increasingly powerful Islamist factions that now hold sway in almost every quarter of post-occupation Iraq. Whether Sunni or Shia; in the current government or in opposition; affiliated directly to al-Qa'ida or to the Jordanian fanatic Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, or are former Baathists who "freelance" as so-called "resistance fighters", what unites Iraq's armed Islamists is a fierce hatred of women that rivals their hatred for US and British "invaders", foreign "infidels" and other assorted enemies.
Across the country, a steady clampdown on women's rights has been going unreported and unchecked by the government. Islamic terrorism is killing and injuring Iraqi women daily, employing among other weapons, acid attacks.
My women's rights group, the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq, has been documenting part of the upsurge in violence against women. In March this year, for example, followers of the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr targeted an outing of students from Basra University. Playing football and listening to music, the mixed group was attacked in Basra Public Park. One male student was killed trying to defend his female friends against Islamists who literally tore the women's clothes off their bodies. Sadr's men photographed the dishevelled, half-dressed women, and told them that their parents would receive the photos if they didn't refrain in future from "immoral" behaviour.
More widely, professional women have been deliberately targeted and killed - notably in the city of Mosul - and, recently, anti-women Islamists in Baghdad have taken to throwing acid in women's faces and on to their uncovered legs.So-called "honour killings" are rife, as is the kidnapping and rape of women. Beheadings have occurred and women have been sold into sexual servitude. When I was in Baghdad a few months ago, I couldn't go anywhere without a bodyguard. The sense of danger and threat was tangible.
Islamist repression against women is a campaign of "moral" terror. Leaflets, graffiti and verbal warnings in their thousands warn women against going out unveiled, against putting on make-up, and against shaking hands or mixing with men. Female doctors have been prevented from treating male patients, and male doctors warned not to attend to women.This is a recipe for future gender enslavement, second-class citizenship and ignorance. Thousands of female university students have now given up their studies to protect themselves against Islamist threats.
Islamist hostility is contagious and echoed daily in high-level political debate. Currently there is a drive over the "right" of men to have four wives, to make divorce a male preserve and for custody of children to be given to men only. Even women on Iraq's National Assembly - the country's parliament - have been calling for resolutions to allow for the beating of women by their guardians (males relatives, such as husbands or fathers). This is all the outcome of the occupation of Iraq. This has been pursued under the name of liberation, but what we actually see is women increasingly losing their freedom, while political Islamists feel free to terrorise them. The Islamicists pour into this invaded, so-called Muslim land in order, they say, to liberate it; but in reality, neither the US nor the Islamists are our liberators. They both really fight for power and influence in Iraq and in the region.
The January so-called election and today's constitution are all part of the same procedure, which is to legitimate the current installed government in Iraq. It is only in an atmosphere of occupation and terror; they can push their reactionary ideas forward.
The constitution is set to add to a growing fearfulness among Iraqi women, as their rights are passed over or signed away to Islamists hostile to Iraq's entire female population. Women in Iraq face being dragged back into the dark ages. We need to stop this tragedy before it's too late. A constitution based on enslaving women, religious sectarianism, and tribalism must be rejected.
The writer is the UK Head of the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq and co-founder of the Iraq Freedom Congress. e-mail:houzan73@ yahoo.co.uk
Health Care Workers in Kirkuk Hold A Strike
In August 3, 2005 the health care workers in the hospital and medical centers in Kirkuk (270km to the north of Baghdad) and its suburban cities have held a general strike against the resolution passed by the ministry of health (numbered 232971 in July 6, 2005) to decrease the pay of the employees.
The strike began at 9:00 am local time and lasted for 2 hours after the ministry officials have received the workers' demands and promised that they will pass them on to the minister of health.
In a TV interview in Kirkuk (Sherkow Mohammed Rahim) a health care worker said "our demands are not only the abolishment of this resolution but also include providing means of transportation, epidemic compensation pay, housing and accommodations for the employees" he also vowed that they will hold an open strike next Sunday unless their demands will be met.
And below is the list of these demands:
"After two and half years of the downfall of the former regime, we the health care workers who are considered the most important part of the society do not enjoy our most basic rights. However the ministry and instead of appreciate our work, issued a resolution to decrease our pay that we earned through years of struggle.
Iraq is a very rich country and has all resources that are able to bring prosperity and welfare for every Iraqi. Therefore we present below our demands which we believe they are the demands of all the health care workers:
1. The abolishment of decree 23971
2. increase of the salary according to the inflation rate
3. issuing a payment called epidemic compensation pay
4. considering payment for employees with families and children
5. considering payment for overtime work or weekend
6. considering payment to compensate for transportation
7. considering absence period for political reasons or because of suppression of the former regime as a service time in the mentioned sector
8. decrease of hours of the working day to 6hr/day
9. passing a law to protect the healthcare workers from any physical or verbal abuse they face everyday
10. eliminating taxes
11. our ministry should be considered as a productive sector therefore should be included in the profit budget
12. issuing loans to the workers who want to get married
Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq –FWCUI
03.08.05
The strike began at 9:00 am local time and lasted for 2 hours after the ministry officials have received the workers' demands and promised that they will pass them on to the minister of health.
In a TV interview in Kirkuk (Sherkow Mohammed Rahim) a health care worker said "our demands are not only the abolishment of this resolution but also include providing means of transportation, epidemic compensation pay, housing and accommodations for the employees" he also vowed that they will hold an open strike next Sunday unless their demands will be met.
And below is the list of these demands:
"After two and half years of the downfall of the former regime, we the health care workers who are considered the most important part of the society do not enjoy our most basic rights. However the ministry and instead of appreciate our work, issued a resolution to decrease our pay that we earned through years of struggle.
Iraq is a very rich country and has all resources that are able to bring prosperity and welfare for every Iraqi. Therefore we present below our demands which we believe they are the demands of all the health care workers:
1. The abolishment of decree 23971
2. increase of the salary according to the inflation rate
3. issuing a payment called epidemic compensation pay
4. considering payment for employees with families and children
5. considering payment for overtime work or weekend
6. considering payment to compensate for transportation
7. considering absence period for political reasons or because of suppression of the former regime as a service time in the mentioned sector
8. decrease of hours of the working day to 6hr/day
9. passing a law to protect the healthcare workers from any physical or verbal abuse they face everyday
10. eliminating taxes
11. our ministry should be considered as a productive sector therefore should be included in the profit budget
12. issuing loans to the workers who want to get married
Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq –FWCUI
03.08.05
Thursday, August 4
AFL-CIO resolution on Iraq
Chicago: In a major change of course, the AFL-CIO Convention delegates voted this afternoon in favor of a resolution calling for a "rapid" return of all U.S. troops from Iraq.
Eighteen AFL-CIO state federations, central labor councils and unions had submitted resolutions to the convention calling for an immediate or rapid end to the occupation and return of the troops. The General Executive Council, meeting on the eve of the convention, submitted a resolution that borrowed heavily from elements of those eighteen but failed to clearly call for a prompt end to the occupation.
When it came time for the convention to act on the resolution Tuesday afternoon, Fred Mason, President of the Maryland/District of Columbia AFL-CIO, offered a "friendly" amendment that clarified and strengthened opposition to continued occupation of Iraq. The amendment was accepted by the leadership and the modified resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of delegates following a parade of delegates who spoke in favor of its adoption (none spoke in opposition).
(This action occurred after delegates of four unions - SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW, and UNITE HERE had already departed the convention after announcing their decision to boycott the proceedings. The SEIU and Teamsters subsequently also announced their disaffiliation.)
Rising to speak in favor of the resolution, Henry Nicholas, President of District 1199 of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) of Pennsylvania, told the delegates that his son had been deployed to Iraq four times and was about to be sent again. He said, "In my forty-five years in the labor movement, this is my proudest moment in being a union member, because it is the first time we had the courage to say 'enough is enough.'"
USLAW Co-Convenor Gene Bruskin observed, "The action taken by this convention puts the AFL-CIO on record for a rapid end to the Iraq occupation - a stand squarely in the mainstream of American public opinion." Polls taken in late June show more than half of the American people feel the war was a mistake and similarly that it has made the U.S. less, not more safe. A majority of Americans also say the administration "intentionally misled" the public in going to war.
U.S. Labor Against the War had rallied its affiliates and supporters to press for the AFL-CIO to take an unambiguous stand for an end to the occupation and return of all U.S. troops. Widespread antiwar and anti-occupation sentiment among the delegates became even more evident when USLAW and Pride at Work, the AFL-CIO constituency group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered union members (also affiliated with USLAW) hosted a reception for Iraqi union leaders attending the convention as guests. The reception, which took place after the plenary on Monday, drew more than 150 delegates and guests, including top officials of a number of unions.
The convention action comes on the heels of a 26-city U.S. tour by six Iraqi trade union leaders from three of Iraq's major labor federations organized by U.S. Labor Against the War in mid-June. The Iraqi union leaders were unanimous in their call for an immediate end to the U.S. occupation, describing it as a source of instability, violence and terrorism in Iraq. (For more about the tour, visit the USLAW website at www.uslaboragainstwar.org.)
The resolution pays tribute to the troops in Iraq and says, ". . . they deserve a commitment from our country's leaders to bring them home rapidly. . . ." It accuses the Bush administration of misinforming the American people about the reasons for going to war and about the reality on the ground since it launched the invasion. It calls for expanded benefits for veterans and protection for workers affected by military base closings. The resolution also heralds the courage demonstrated by Iraqi workers and unions. It calls for full respect for the right of Iraqi workers to freely organize and bargain in unions of their choice and unconditional cancellation of the foreign debt and reparations accumulated by Iraq during the Hussein regime. It pledges continuing solidarity in concert with the international trade union movement with the workers of Iraq ". . . as they lead the struggle for an end to the violence and a more just and democratic nation."
Adoption of this resolution represents the first time in its 50 year history that the federation has taken a position squarely in opposition to a major U.S. foreign policy or military action.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resolution #53 The War in Iraq
Submitted by the Executive Council, as amended from the floor and adopted by the delegates to the AFL-CIO Convention in Chicago, July 26, 2005
The AFL-CIO supports the brave men and women deployed in Iraq, which include our members in all branches of the armed services.
Our soldiers-the men and women risking their lives in Iraq-come from America's working families. They are our sons and daughters, our sisters and brothers, our husbands and wives. They deserve to be properly equipped with protective body gear and up-armored vehicles. And they deserve leadership that fully values their courage and sacrifice. Most importantly, they deserve a commitment from our country's leaders to bring them home rapidly. An unending military presence will waste lives and resources, undermine our nation's security and weaken our military.
We have lost more than 1,700 brave Americans in Iraq to date, and Iraqi civilian casualties are in the thousands. In recent months, the insurgency increasingly has focused its terror on the Iraqi people, engaging in a deliberate campaign to frustrate their aspirations to take control of their own destiny. These aspirations were clearly demonstrated earlier this year when Iraqis defied widespread intimidation and escalating violence by turning out in the millions to elect a new Iraqi interim government tasked with writing a constitution. The AFL-CIO applauds the courage of the Iraqi people and unequivocally condemns the use of terror in Iraq and indeed anywhere in the world.
No foreign policy can be sustained without the informed consent of the American people. The American people were misinformed before the war began and have not been informed about the reality on the ground and the very difficult challenges that lie ahead.
It is long past time for the Bush administration to level with the American people and for Congress to fulfill its constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities. The AFL-CIO supports the call from members of Congress for the establishment of benchmarks in the key areas of security, governance, reconstruction and internationalization.
Since the beginning of the war almost two-and-a-half years ago, the AFL-CIO has emphasized the support and participation of a broad coalition of nations and the United Nations is vital to building a democratic Iraq. Greater security on the ground remains an unmet precondition for such efforts to succeed. The AFL-CIO calls on the international community to help the Iraqi people build its capacity to maintain law and order through a concerted international effort to train Iraqi security and police forces.
Future efforts to rebuild the country are hampered by the weight of the massive foreign debt accumulated under the Saddam Hussein regime. The AFL-CIO calls for cancellation of Saddam's foreign debt without any conditions imposed upon the people of Iraq, who suffered under the regime that was supported by these loans. Further, the AFL-CIO calls for the cancellation of reparations imposed as a result of wars waged by Saddam Hussein's regime and the return of all Iraqi property and antiquities taken during the war and occupation.
The bedrock of any democracy is a strong, free, democratic labor movement.
That is true in the United States and Iraq.
Our returning troops should be afforded all resources and services available to meet their needs. Our members should return to their jobs, with seniority and benefits.
The AFL-CIO calls on Congress and President Bush to expand benefits for veterans and assist those affected by military base closings, including a G.I. Bill for returning Iraq veterans and a Veterans Administration housing program that meets current needs.
The AFL-CIO supports the efforts of Iraqi workers to form independent labor unions. In the absence of an adequate labor law, the AFL-CIO calls on the Iraqi government, as well as domestic and international companies operating in Iraq, to respect internationally recognized International Labor Organization standards that call for protecting the right of workers to organize free from all government and employer interference and the right to organize and bargain collectively in both the public and private sectors. These rights must be extended to include full equality for working women.
The AFL-CIO condemns the fact that Saddam's decree No. 150 issued in 1987 that abolished union rights for workers in the extensive Iraqi public sector has not been repealed. Under current laws, payroll deductions for union dues are not even permitted. The AFL-CIO calls on the Iraqi government to place as a top priority the adoption of a new labor law that conforms to international labor standards to replace the old anti-worker laws and decrees.
Despite legal obstacles, Iraq's workers and their institutions are already leaders in the struggle for democracy. Trade unionists are being targeted for their activism, and some have paid for their valor with their lives. The AFL-CIO condemns these brutal acts of intimidation.
The AFL-CIO has a proud history of solidarity with worker movements around the world in their opposition to tyranny. In concert with the international trade union movement, the AFL-CIO will continue to provide our full solidarity to Iraq's workers as they lead the struggle for an end to the violence and a more just and democratic nation.
U.S. Labor Against War (USLAW)
www.uslaboragainstwar.org
Email:
PMB 153
1718 "M" Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Messages: 202-521-5265
Eighteen AFL-CIO state federations, central labor councils and unions had submitted resolutions to the convention calling for an immediate or rapid end to the occupation and return of the troops. The General Executive Council, meeting on the eve of the convention, submitted a resolution that borrowed heavily from elements of those eighteen but failed to clearly call for a prompt end to the occupation.
When it came time for the convention to act on the resolution Tuesday afternoon, Fred Mason, President of the Maryland/District of Columbia AFL-CIO, offered a "friendly" amendment that clarified and strengthened opposition to continued occupation of Iraq. The amendment was accepted by the leadership and the modified resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of delegates following a parade of delegates who spoke in favor of its adoption (none spoke in opposition).
(This action occurred after delegates of four unions - SEIU, Teamsters, UFCW, and UNITE HERE had already departed the convention after announcing their decision to boycott the proceedings. The SEIU and Teamsters subsequently also announced their disaffiliation.)
Rising to speak in favor of the resolution, Henry Nicholas, President of District 1199 of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) of Pennsylvania, told the delegates that his son had been deployed to Iraq four times and was about to be sent again. He said, "In my forty-five years in the labor movement, this is my proudest moment in being a union member, because it is the first time we had the courage to say 'enough is enough.'"
USLAW Co-Convenor Gene Bruskin observed, "The action taken by this convention puts the AFL-CIO on record for a rapid end to the Iraq occupation - a stand squarely in the mainstream of American public opinion." Polls taken in late June show more than half of the American people feel the war was a mistake and similarly that it has made the U.S. less, not more safe. A majority of Americans also say the administration "intentionally misled" the public in going to war.
U.S. Labor Against the War had rallied its affiliates and supporters to press for the AFL-CIO to take an unambiguous stand for an end to the occupation and return of all U.S. troops. Widespread antiwar and anti-occupation sentiment among the delegates became even more evident when USLAW and Pride at Work, the AFL-CIO constituency group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-gendered union members (also affiliated with USLAW) hosted a reception for Iraqi union leaders attending the convention as guests. The reception, which took place after the plenary on Monday, drew more than 150 delegates and guests, including top officials of a number of unions.
The convention action comes on the heels of a 26-city U.S. tour by six Iraqi trade union leaders from three of Iraq's major labor federations organized by U.S. Labor Against the War in mid-June. The Iraqi union leaders were unanimous in their call for an immediate end to the U.S. occupation, describing it as a source of instability, violence and terrorism in Iraq. (For more about the tour, visit the USLAW website at www.uslaboragainstwar.org.)
The resolution pays tribute to the troops in Iraq and says, ". . . they deserve a commitment from our country's leaders to bring them home rapidly. . . ." It accuses the Bush administration of misinforming the American people about the reasons for going to war and about the reality on the ground since it launched the invasion. It calls for expanded benefits for veterans and protection for workers affected by military base closings. The resolution also heralds the courage demonstrated by Iraqi workers and unions. It calls for full respect for the right of Iraqi workers to freely organize and bargain in unions of their choice and unconditional cancellation of the foreign debt and reparations accumulated by Iraq during the Hussein regime. It pledges continuing solidarity in concert with the international trade union movement with the workers of Iraq ". . . as they lead the struggle for an end to the violence and a more just and democratic nation."
Adoption of this resolution represents the first time in its 50 year history that the federation has taken a position squarely in opposition to a major U.S. foreign policy or military action.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Resolution #53 The War in Iraq
Submitted by the Executive Council, as amended from the floor and adopted by the delegates to the AFL-CIO Convention in Chicago, July 26, 2005
The AFL-CIO supports the brave men and women deployed in Iraq, which include our members in all branches of the armed services.
Our soldiers-the men and women risking their lives in Iraq-come from America's working families. They are our sons and daughters, our sisters and brothers, our husbands and wives. They deserve to be properly equipped with protective body gear and up-armored vehicles. And they deserve leadership that fully values their courage and sacrifice. Most importantly, they deserve a commitment from our country's leaders to bring them home rapidly. An unending military presence will waste lives and resources, undermine our nation's security and weaken our military.
We have lost more than 1,700 brave Americans in Iraq to date, and Iraqi civilian casualties are in the thousands. In recent months, the insurgency increasingly has focused its terror on the Iraqi people, engaging in a deliberate campaign to frustrate their aspirations to take control of their own destiny. These aspirations were clearly demonstrated earlier this year when Iraqis defied widespread intimidation and escalating violence by turning out in the millions to elect a new Iraqi interim government tasked with writing a constitution. The AFL-CIO applauds the courage of the Iraqi people and unequivocally condemns the use of terror in Iraq and indeed anywhere in the world.
No foreign policy can be sustained without the informed consent of the American people. The American people were misinformed before the war began and have not been informed about the reality on the ground and the very difficult challenges that lie ahead.
It is long past time for the Bush administration to level with the American people and for Congress to fulfill its constitutionally mandated oversight responsibilities. The AFL-CIO supports the call from members of Congress for the establishment of benchmarks in the key areas of security, governance, reconstruction and internationalization.
Since the beginning of the war almost two-and-a-half years ago, the AFL-CIO has emphasized the support and participation of a broad coalition of nations and the United Nations is vital to building a democratic Iraq. Greater security on the ground remains an unmet precondition for such efforts to succeed. The AFL-CIO calls on the international community to help the Iraqi people build its capacity to maintain law and order through a concerted international effort to train Iraqi security and police forces.
Future efforts to rebuild the country are hampered by the weight of the massive foreign debt accumulated under the Saddam Hussein regime. The AFL-CIO calls for cancellation of Saddam's foreign debt without any conditions imposed upon the people of Iraq, who suffered under the regime that was supported by these loans. Further, the AFL-CIO calls for the cancellation of reparations imposed as a result of wars waged by Saddam Hussein's regime and the return of all Iraqi property and antiquities taken during the war and occupation.
The bedrock of any democracy is a strong, free, democratic labor movement.
That is true in the United States and Iraq.
Our returning troops should be afforded all resources and services available to meet their needs. Our members should return to their jobs, with seniority and benefits.
The AFL-CIO calls on Congress and President Bush to expand benefits for veterans and assist those affected by military base closings, including a G.I. Bill for returning Iraq veterans and a Veterans Administration housing program that meets current needs.
The AFL-CIO supports the efforts of Iraqi workers to form independent labor unions. In the absence of an adequate labor law, the AFL-CIO calls on the Iraqi government, as well as domestic and international companies operating in Iraq, to respect internationally recognized International Labor Organization standards that call for protecting the right of workers to organize free from all government and employer interference and the right to organize and bargain collectively in both the public and private sectors. These rights must be extended to include full equality for working women.
The AFL-CIO condemns the fact that Saddam's decree No. 150 issued in 1987 that abolished union rights for workers in the extensive Iraqi public sector has not been repealed. Under current laws, payroll deductions for union dues are not even permitted. The AFL-CIO calls on the Iraqi government to place as a top priority the adoption of a new labor law that conforms to international labor standards to replace the old anti-worker laws and decrees.
Despite legal obstacles, Iraq's workers and their institutions are already leaders in the struggle for democracy. Trade unionists are being targeted for their activism, and some have paid for their valor with their lives. The AFL-CIO condemns these brutal acts of intimidation.
The AFL-CIO has a proud history of solidarity with worker movements around the world in their opposition to tyranny. In concert with the international trade union movement, the AFL-CIO will continue to provide our full solidarity to Iraq's workers as they lead the struggle for an end to the violence and a more just and democratic nation.
U.S. Labor Against War (USLAW)
www.uslaboragainstwar.org
Email:
PMB 153
1718 "M" Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Messages: 202-521-5265
Iraqi unions: TUC asks British unions to 'match their courage with our cash!'
British unions are being called on to step up efforts to help their Iraqi and Kurdish colleagues by donating money to the TUC Aid for Iraq appeal. The call comes as the TUC publishes Unions in Iraq, the report of a solidarity conference held in February ( http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-10310-f0.cfm )
The conference heard from Iraqi and Kurdish union leaders about the problems they face and the help that they need, and also from unions in Britain and abroad about what is already being done. Key needs identified were:
trade union education and training;
advice on developing labour laws; and
solidarity visits and invitations to visit Britain.
The TUC Iraq Solidarity Committee, chaired by General Councillor and NASUWT Treasurer Sue Rogers, has already agreed to support a project helping the Iraqi journalists’ union to develop an independent news media in Iraq, and there are plans to bring an Iraqi and Kurdish teachers’ union delegation to Britain for International Education Week in November.
A full programme of solidarity work, including arrangements for visits, twinning, education and logistical support (buildings, communications technology and materials) was also discussed at the conference and detailed planning is underway.
But this work requires funds, and the TUC is calling on affiliated unions to donate money to the TUC Aid for Iraq appeal, which can be done direct to the TUC or online at http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/index.cfm?mins=376
TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: 'Iraqi and Kurdish unions need all the support we can give - this is a chance to make a real difference and help our brothers and sisters rebuild their movement. Now is the time to match their courage with our cash!'
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Register for the TUC's press extranet : a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre‑embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet
- A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 9am-9pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.
Contacts: Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk
Congress: TUC Congress 2005 will be at the Brighton Centre, Brighton from Monday 12 September to Thursday 15 September. Applications for media credentials must be received by 5pm Friday 2nd September. Requests received after this date will be subject to a £50 administration charge. To register and to book a BT phone line go to http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/mediacreds2005.cfm
The conference heard from Iraqi and Kurdish union leaders about the problems they face and the help that they need, and also from unions in Britain and abroad about what is already being done. Key needs identified were:
trade union education and training;
advice on developing labour laws; and
solidarity visits and invitations to visit Britain.
The TUC Iraq Solidarity Committee, chaired by General Councillor and NASUWT Treasurer Sue Rogers, has already agreed to support a project helping the Iraqi journalists’ union to develop an independent news media in Iraq, and there are plans to bring an Iraqi and Kurdish teachers’ union delegation to Britain for International Education Week in November.
A full programme of solidarity work, including arrangements for visits, twinning, education and logistical support (buildings, communications technology and materials) was also discussed at the conference and detailed planning is underway.
But this work requires funds, and the TUC is calling on affiliated unions to donate money to the TUC Aid for Iraq appeal, which can be done direct to the TUC or online at http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/index.cfm?mins=376
TUC Deputy General Secretary Frances O’Grady said: 'Iraqi and Kurdish unions need all the support we can give - this is a chance to make a real difference and help our brothers and sisters rebuild their movement. Now is the time to match their courage with our cash!'
NOTES TO EDITORS:
- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
- Register for the TUC's press extranet : a service exclusive to journalists wanting to access pre‑embargo releases and reports from the TUC. Visit www.tuc.org.uk/pressextranet
- A series of TUC rights leaflets are available on our website and from the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 9am-9pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.
Contacts: Media enquiries: Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248; M: 07778 158175; E: media@tuc.org.uk
Congress: TUC Congress 2005 will be at the Brighton Centre, Brighton from Monday 12 September to Thursday 15 September. Applications for media credentials must be received by 5pm Friday 2nd September. Requests received after this date will be subject to a £50 administration charge. To register and to book a BT phone line go to http://www.tuc.org.uk/congress/mediacreds2005.cfm
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