The textile workers in the general company of cotton industries in Baghdad have launched a strike demanding their pays and the increase of danger compensation. The workers have had many rounds of negotiation with the management without reaching a solution. The strike has begun in September 10 until the end of the month; however, the demands were not met.
This is not the first time the workers launch strike, the company has witnessed many organized strikes and protests some of them were against the corruption of the management and demanded their replacement, some of the demanding bonuses and so on. There was a rumor among the workers saying that the minister of industry will request the intervention of the American troops to settle the problem using force.
Some officials have called on the American troops to intervene in a recent incident to suppress a worker protest under the text of the factory was infiltrated by insurgents who intend to burn it.
As the worker want to operate the plant in full capacity and extend their production, the ministry and the management attempt to put barriers and decrease production. in order to privatize the company under pretext of inefficiency, which is the same policy the ministry of industry following in order to privatize the public sector.
Federation of worker councils and unions in Iraq
Oct.2005
Wednesday, October 26
Regarding the textile workers strike
The textile workers in kadhimiya had a strike for more than two weeks amid the persistency of the workers to have their demands met.
Hundreds of workers are working and using very old style and dangerous machines and tools that caused many casualties or injuries among the workers, which lead to long-term disability in most of the cases.
The ministry has intervened many times to put the workers under pressure by threatening them to be fired or relocated. The former minister issued a number of resolutions preventing the workers from forming their own unions in their workplaces and the return to the resolutions enacted by the former regime, however the workers did not want obey these rules.
To guarantee the success of the workers in achieving and meeting their demands we have to expand the protest movement to include the entire country, simply because our demands are the same as the ones of other factories and plants everywhere else.
More than two years have passed and the labor movement is growing however, it has not reached the level of being widespread movement. The labor movement in Iraq must have an inclusive agenda to adopt the workers aims and interests as a social class and proposes an alternative that does not specify one sector but actually every field.
The worker council and unions in Iraq who organizes workers from different sects and fields, attempts to organize the labor movement across the country and lead a widespread protest movement to stand against any enmity policy that could hurt the workers and eventually to bring the workers alternative to the current situation.
Join your union and revolve around your goals and your interests to downfall the attempts of privatization, layoffs and freedom limitations.
Long live labor will
Long live labor movement
Federation of worker council and union in Iraq
September 30 2005
Hundreds of workers are working and using very old style and dangerous machines and tools that caused many casualties or injuries among the workers, which lead to long-term disability in most of the cases.
The ministry has intervened many times to put the workers under pressure by threatening them to be fired or relocated. The former minister issued a number of resolutions preventing the workers from forming their own unions in their workplaces and the return to the resolutions enacted by the former regime, however the workers did not want obey these rules.
To guarantee the success of the workers in achieving and meeting their demands we have to expand the protest movement to include the entire country, simply because our demands are the same as the ones of other factories and plants everywhere else.
More than two years have passed and the labor movement is growing however, it has not reached the level of being widespread movement. The labor movement in Iraq must have an inclusive agenda to adopt the workers aims and interests as a social class and proposes an alternative that does not specify one sector but actually every field.
The worker council and unions in Iraq who organizes workers from different sects and fields, attempts to organize the labor movement across the country and lead a widespread protest movement to stand against any enmity policy that could hurt the workers and eventually to bring the workers alternative to the current situation.
Join your union and revolve around your goals and your interests to downfall the attempts of privatization, layoffs and freedom limitations.
Long live labor will
Long live labor movement
Federation of worker council and union in Iraq
September 30 2005
They mechanical industries workers are preparing for a sit in
The general company of the mechanical industries consists of more than 6000 workers who represent different sectors and fields. This company has different departments who have the ability to produce different types of mechanical tools.
The plant was ordered to stop production and the workers were forced to go on leave, and receive their paycheck without any benefits and bonuses, which is not enough to survive more than one week.
The workers had demanded to operate the plant and propose a long-term plan to keep operating the factory. In addition, the federation of worker councils and unions in Iraq had requested the ministry to operate the factory to avoid any layoff.
During the negotiation with the management, the management stated, “The ministries do not sign any contract with the company to ensure their needs, however they buy their needs of products from the private sector with high cost and poor quality”. The reason is to drive the plant to bankruptcy and labeling it as a non-productive business and shutting down the plant.
It is obvious that many companies, plants and factories that belong to the public sector are suffering from the same policy adopted by the government to label them as non-productive businesses, which will eventually be privatized and ultimately lead to millions of unemployed workers.
Federation of Worker Councils and Unions in Iraq
Sept.2005
The plant was ordered to stop production and the workers were forced to go on leave, and receive their paycheck without any benefits and bonuses, which is not enough to survive more than one week.
The workers had demanded to operate the plant and propose a long-term plan to keep operating the factory. In addition, the federation of worker councils and unions in Iraq had requested the ministry to operate the factory to avoid any layoff.
During the negotiation with the management, the management stated, “The ministries do not sign any contract with the company to ensure their needs, however they buy their needs of products from the private sector with high cost and poor quality”. The reason is to drive the plant to bankruptcy and labeling it as a non-productive business and shutting down the plant.
It is obvious that many companies, plants and factories that belong to the public sector are suffering from the same policy adopted by the government to label them as non-productive businesses, which will eventually be privatized and ultimately lead to millions of unemployed workers.
Federation of Worker Councils and Unions in Iraq
Sept.2005
Laying off hundreds of workers from the garment company
The garment company in Mahmoodya 25 Km south of Baghdad, which contains 1800 workers, has off more than 500 workers most of them were women. The management has made this decision based on allegation saying, “They are more than what we need”. The workers who were let go received no compensation or any kinds of benefit in spite of many of them have spent more than seventeen years in this company. Besides some of them were to old to look for another job or another opportunity.
The laid off workers have mentioned that the list of the lay off was prepared by the official union that is being illegalized by the government and enjoys good relations with the management. Furthermore, union members themselves have carried out the layoff process.
The federation of worker councils and unions in Iraq who organized the laid off workers, is preparing to carry out a demonstration and sit in, in front of the ministry of labor demanding their return to work, providing an alternative job or issuing an employment insurance to compensate the lost jobs.
Federation of Worker Councils and Unions in Iraq
Sept.2005
The laid off workers have mentioned that the list of the lay off was prepared by the official union that is being illegalized by the government and enjoys good relations with the management. Furthermore, union members themselves have carried out the layoff process.
The federation of worker councils and unions in Iraq who organized the laid off workers, is preparing to carry out a demonstration and sit in, in front of the ministry of labor demanding their return to work, providing an alternative job or issuing an employment insurance to compensate the lost jobs.
Federation of Worker Councils and Unions in Iraq
Sept.2005
Saturday, October 8
Iraqi Workers' Federation at Labour Party conference
Speech from Abdullah Muhsin from Iraqi Workers Federation Speech at the Labour Friends of Iraq fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference.
I would like to extend the warm greetings of the newly formed Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF) to each one of you. Thank you very much for your support and we proudly applaud the solidarity work of Unison in supporting the development of emerging Iraqi free, independent and democratic unions.
The IWF would like to applaud the work of the British TUC who have sent a fact-finding mission to Iraq and is working with the IFTU and with our sister unions in Iraqi Kurdistan to build the capacity of free and democratic unions in Iraq.
I strongly believe that supporting Iraqi democrats, socialists and free trade unions, is today the most important work there is.
Sisters and brothers
Iraq has suffered terribly under Saddam's murderous rule, which has cost the lives of thousands of innocent Iraqis. And as you see now on your TV screens, the suffering continues today. Iraq is still being occupied by foreign forces and is not yet peaceful or democratic.
Our fledgling federation is fighting for a democratic Iraq, free from foreign forces. And it fights for the building of free, independent and democratic unions, free from state and political parties’ interference. The IWF struggles alongside Iraqi progressive forces for:
* secular constitution that guarantees women's and workers’ rights according to international standards and specifically the fundamental laws of the International Labour organisation (ILO).
* free and democratic elections, which are supervised by the UN, so as Iraq can regain full sovereignty.
* Labour and social security codes that adhere to ILO standards.
* These were among some of the demands our federation raised since ever the fall of Saddam’s despicable regime on April 9 2003 and these demands are still our goal today.
Colleagues, let me start by talking about the impact of terrorism on my homeland Iraq.
We want foreign troops out of Iraq as part of the UN political process. And we want free, open and democratic elections so as Iraq can regain its full sovereignty.
The majority of Iraqis, as you saw on your TV screens on 30 January’s election, battle to end the occupation, to build the institutions of democracy; and struggle to prevent the return of authoritarian rule and, of course to stop and eradicate the growth of extremism in Iraq.
But in this work, reactionary and anti-social forces and terrorists hinder us and are causing grave security problems. Unfortunately the current government of Al Jaffari is not helping, although the IWF supports its political drive in general, as it is envisaged by UN resolution 1546.
Iraq is bleeding from the wounds inflicted by acts of extremism - of suicide car bombs that deliberately target innocent Iraqi people. Just like the one that targeted unemployed workers queuing for desperately needed work on 14 September 2005 and killed indiscriminately over 150 construction workers and cleaners.
And a few weeks prior to the above horror, Iraq saw another great tragedy committed by a terrorist inspired panic, which lead to the death of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children, in the stampede on Al Khadamiya Bridge in Baghdad.
On the draft constitution, the IWF support the draft in general, although we have great reservations about the draft being proposed for a referendum on 15 October 2005.
The IWF reservations are firstly the reference to Islam as the source of law and specifically with reference to women’s civil rights - inheritance, divorce and children. The IWF support the principle of federalism to Iraqi Kurdistan but strongly oppose the sectarian way to divide Iraq.
Please allow me to say few words on the latest developments within the Iraqi trade union movement.
The IFTU since its foundation on the 16 May 2003 insisted on the importance and need to reform the Iraqi labour movement into one single TUC, not on an ideological basis but as a genuine democratic and independent national trade union movement, independent of state and political parties.
I am proud to report that after months of detailed discussions in Baghdad and across Iraq, the three trade union federations in Iraq (IFTU, GFTU and the GFITU) have merged together on the 20 September 2005 and have formed the Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF).
With your help, the TUC and the international Labour movement (ICFTU), the IWF can play an important role in helping a sovereign and democratic Iraq to emerge from the long night mare of Saddam.
In all these tasks we appeal for your help.
Abdullah Muhsin
IWF
Labour Party Conference
28 September 2005
I would like to extend the warm greetings of the newly formed Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF) to each one of you. Thank you very much for your support and we proudly applaud the solidarity work of Unison in supporting the development of emerging Iraqi free, independent and democratic unions.
The IWF would like to applaud the work of the British TUC who have sent a fact-finding mission to Iraq and is working with the IFTU and with our sister unions in Iraqi Kurdistan to build the capacity of free and democratic unions in Iraq.
I strongly believe that supporting Iraqi democrats, socialists and free trade unions, is today the most important work there is.
Sisters and brothers
Iraq has suffered terribly under Saddam's murderous rule, which has cost the lives of thousands of innocent Iraqis. And as you see now on your TV screens, the suffering continues today. Iraq is still being occupied by foreign forces and is not yet peaceful or democratic.
Our fledgling federation is fighting for a democratic Iraq, free from foreign forces. And it fights for the building of free, independent and democratic unions, free from state and political parties’ interference. The IWF struggles alongside Iraqi progressive forces for:
* secular constitution that guarantees women's and workers’ rights according to international standards and specifically the fundamental laws of the International Labour organisation (ILO).
* free and democratic elections, which are supervised by the UN, so as Iraq can regain full sovereignty.
* Labour and social security codes that adhere to ILO standards.
* These were among some of the demands our federation raised since ever the fall of Saddam’s despicable regime on April 9 2003 and these demands are still our goal today.
Colleagues, let me start by talking about the impact of terrorism on my homeland Iraq.
We want foreign troops out of Iraq as part of the UN political process. And we want free, open and democratic elections so as Iraq can regain its full sovereignty.
The majority of Iraqis, as you saw on your TV screens on 30 January’s election, battle to end the occupation, to build the institutions of democracy; and struggle to prevent the return of authoritarian rule and, of course to stop and eradicate the growth of extremism in Iraq.
But in this work, reactionary and anti-social forces and terrorists hinder us and are causing grave security problems. Unfortunately the current government of Al Jaffari is not helping, although the IWF supports its political drive in general, as it is envisaged by UN resolution 1546.
Iraq is bleeding from the wounds inflicted by acts of extremism - of suicide car bombs that deliberately target innocent Iraqi people. Just like the one that targeted unemployed workers queuing for desperately needed work on 14 September 2005 and killed indiscriminately over 150 construction workers and cleaners.
And a few weeks prior to the above horror, Iraq saw another great tragedy committed by a terrorist inspired panic, which lead to the death of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children, in the stampede on Al Khadamiya Bridge in Baghdad.
On the draft constitution, the IWF support the draft in general, although we have great reservations about the draft being proposed for a referendum on 15 October 2005.
The IWF reservations are firstly the reference to Islam as the source of law and specifically with reference to women’s civil rights - inheritance, divorce and children. The IWF support the principle of federalism to Iraqi Kurdistan but strongly oppose the sectarian way to divide Iraq.
Please allow me to say few words on the latest developments within the Iraqi trade union movement.
The IFTU since its foundation on the 16 May 2003 insisted on the importance and need to reform the Iraqi labour movement into one single TUC, not on an ideological basis but as a genuine democratic and independent national trade union movement, independent of state and political parties.
I am proud to report that after months of detailed discussions in Baghdad and across Iraq, the three trade union federations in Iraq (IFTU, GFTU and the GFITU) have merged together on the 20 September 2005 and have formed the Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF).
With your help, the TUC and the international Labour movement (ICFTU), the IWF can play an important role in helping a sovereign and democratic Iraq to emerge from the long night mare of Saddam.
In all these tasks we appeal for your help.
Abdullah Muhsin
IWF
Labour Party Conference
28 September 2005
Friday, October 7
The Stance of the GUOE in the Southern Region Towards the Occupation
Greetings to you my dear friends,
I would like to convey the greetings of all the union executive committee members’ greetings and to clarify the union’s opinion. I hope that you do not listen to the third party who wants to undermine your trust in the union, for we have set a path for ourselves that all of us in the union shall not deviate from.
Our stand is frank and clear towards the occupation, and we constantly demand “the immediate departure of the occupation forces from the country,” because we are capable of administering the state as Iraqis, whatever the consequences, and because such ability exists amongst the Iraqis. The current divisions are caused by the occupation.
I personally talked in the United States with the president of the AFL-CIO about the occupation and its consequences for the Iraqis and the calamities and afflictions that the occupation bequeathed the Iraqi people. We have also demanded that the union should have a steadfast stand towards the occupation. Our friends at the union’s [AFL-CIO] conference on 20th July 2005 passed a resolution condemning the occupation, following our political and union meetings during our visit to the US starting 10th June 2005. We made clear to all the American people our stand towards the occupation and its disadvantages. Our union also issued several statements condemning the occupation during the attacks [aggression] on the innocents in Hilla, Baghdad and [the whole of] Iraq.
The union’s stand is frank and clear, and it is an inner [deeply felt] and patriotic feeling of all the union’s members that the occupation forces must leave the country immediately, whatever the consequences. The statements that we issue demanding [our] rights are addressed to the Iraqi state, which is why we do not mention the occupation in them and why we issue the occasional specific statements on the occupation and its drawbacks.
Greetings to all of you,
Hassan Juma’a Awwad Al-Assadi
President of the union
I would like to convey the greetings of all the union executive committee members’ greetings and to clarify the union’s opinion. I hope that you do not listen to the third party who wants to undermine your trust in the union, for we have set a path for ourselves that all of us in the union shall not deviate from.
Our stand is frank and clear towards the occupation, and we constantly demand “the immediate departure of the occupation forces from the country,” because we are capable of administering the state as Iraqis, whatever the consequences, and because such ability exists amongst the Iraqis. The current divisions are caused by the occupation.
I personally talked in the United States with the president of the AFL-CIO about the occupation and its consequences for the Iraqis and the calamities and afflictions that the occupation bequeathed the Iraqi people. We have also demanded that the union should have a steadfast stand towards the occupation. Our friends at the union’s [AFL-CIO] conference on 20th July 2005 passed a resolution condemning the occupation, following our political and union meetings during our visit to the US starting 10th June 2005. We made clear to all the American people our stand towards the occupation and its disadvantages. Our union also issued several statements condemning the occupation during the attacks [aggression] on the innocents in Hilla, Baghdad and [the whole of] Iraq.
The union’s stand is frank and clear, and it is an inner [deeply felt] and patriotic feeling of all the union’s members that the occupation forces must leave the country immediately, whatever the consequences. The statements that we issue demanding [our] rights are addressed to the Iraqi state, which is why we do not mention the occupation in them and why we issue the occasional specific statements on the occupation and its drawbacks.
Greetings to all of you,
Hassan Juma’a Awwad Al-Assadi
President of the union
Sunday, October 2
Iraqi Workers' Federation at Labour Party conference
Speech by Abdullah Muhsin, on behalf of the Iraqi Workers' Federation (formerly IFTU) at the Labour Friends of Iraq fringe meeting at the Labour Party Conference.
I would like to extend the warm greetings of the newly formed Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF) to each one of you. Thank you very much for your support and we proudly applaud the solidarity work of Unison in supporting the development of emerging Iraqi free, independent and democratic unions.
The IWF would like to applaud the work of the British TUC who have sent a fact-finding mission to Iraq and is working with the IFTU and with our sister unions in Iraqi Kurdistan to build the capacity of free and democratic unions in Iraq.
I strongly believe that supporting Iraqi democrats, socialists and free trade unions, is today the most important work there is.
Sisters and brothers
Iraq has suffered terribly under Saddam's murderous rule, which has cost the lives of thousands of innocent Iraqis. And as you see now on your TV screens, the suffering continues today. Iraq is still being occupied by foreign forces and is not yet peaceful or democratic.
Our fledgling federation is fighting for a democratic Iraq, free from foreign forces. And it fights for the building of free, independent and democratic unions, free from state and political parties’ interference. The IWF struggles alongside Iraqi progressive forces for:
* secular constitution that guarantees women's and workers’ rights according to international standards and specifically the fundamental laws of the International Labour organisation (ILO).
* free and democratic elections, which are supervised by the UN, so as Iraq can regain full sovereignty.
* Labour and social security codes that adhere to ILO standards.
These were among some of the demands our federation raised since ever the fall of Saddam’s despicable regime on April 9 2003 and these demands are still our goal today.
Colleagues, let me start by talking about the impact of terrorism on my homeland Iraq.
We want foreign troops out of Iraq as part of the UN political process. And we want free, open and democratic elections so as Iraq can regain its full sovereignty.
The majority of Iraqis, as you saw on your TV screens on 30 January’s election, battle to end the occupation, to build the institutions of democracy; and struggle to prevent the return of authoritarian rule and, of course to stop and eradicate the growth of extremism in Iraq.
But in this work, reactionary and anti-social forces and terrorists hinder us and are causing grave security problems. Unfortunately the current government of Al Jaffari is not helping, although the IWF supports its political drive in general, as it is envisaged by UN resolution 1546.
Iraq is bleeding from the wounds inflicted by acts of extremism - of suicide car bombs that deliberately target innocent Iraqi people. Just like the one that targeted unemployed workers queuing for desperately needed work on 14 September 2005 and killed indiscriminately over 150 construction workers and cleaners.
And a few weeks prior to the above horror, Iraq saw another great tragedy committed by a terrorist inspired panic, which lead to the death of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children, in the stampede on Al Khadamiya Bridge in Baghdad.
On the draft constitution, the IWF support the draft in general, although we have great reservations about the draft being proposed for a referendum on 15 October 2005.
The IWF reservations are firstly the reference to Islam as the source of law and specifically with reference to women’s civil rights - inheritance, divorce and children. The IWF support the principle of federalism to Iraqi Kurdistan but strongly oppose the sectarian way to divide Iraq.
Please allow me to say few words on the latest developments within the Iraqi trade union movement.
The IFTU since its foundation on the 16 May 2003 insisted on the importance and need to reform the Iraqi labour movement into one single TUC, not on an ideological basis but as a genuine democratic and independent national trade union movement, independent of state and political parties.
I am proud to report that after months of detailed discussions in Baghdad and across Iraq, the three trade union federations in Iraq (IFTU, GFTU and the GFITU) have merged together on the 20 September 2005 and have formed the Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF).
With your help, the TUC and the international Labour movement (ICFTU), the IWF can play an important role in helping a sovereign and democratic Iraq to emerge from the long night mare of Saddam.
In all these tasks we appeal for your help.
Abdullah Muhsin
IWF
Labour Party Conference
28 September 2005
I would like to extend the warm greetings of the newly formed Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF) to each one of you. Thank you very much for your support and we proudly applaud the solidarity work of Unison in supporting the development of emerging Iraqi free, independent and democratic unions.
The IWF would like to applaud the work of the British TUC who have sent a fact-finding mission to Iraq and is working with the IFTU and with our sister unions in Iraqi Kurdistan to build the capacity of free and democratic unions in Iraq.
I strongly believe that supporting Iraqi democrats, socialists and free trade unions, is today the most important work there is.
Sisters and brothers
Iraq has suffered terribly under Saddam's murderous rule, which has cost the lives of thousands of innocent Iraqis. And as you see now on your TV screens, the suffering continues today. Iraq is still being occupied by foreign forces and is not yet peaceful or democratic.
Our fledgling federation is fighting for a democratic Iraq, free from foreign forces. And it fights for the building of free, independent and democratic unions, free from state and political parties’ interference. The IWF struggles alongside Iraqi progressive forces for:
* secular constitution that guarantees women's and workers’ rights according to international standards and specifically the fundamental laws of the International Labour organisation (ILO).
* free and democratic elections, which are supervised by the UN, so as Iraq can regain full sovereignty.
* Labour and social security codes that adhere to ILO standards.
These were among some of the demands our federation raised since ever the fall of Saddam’s despicable regime on April 9 2003 and these demands are still our goal today.
Colleagues, let me start by talking about the impact of terrorism on my homeland Iraq.
We want foreign troops out of Iraq as part of the UN political process. And we want free, open and democratic elections so as Iraq can regain its full sovereignty.
The majority of Iraqis, as you saw on your TV screens on 30 January’s election, battle to end the occupation, to build the institutions of democracy; and struggle to prevent the return of authoritarian rule and, of course to stop and eradicate the growth of extremism in Iraq.
But in this work, reactionary and anti-social forces and terrorists hinder us and are causing grave security problems. Unfortunately the current government of Al Jaffari is not helping, although the IWF supports its political drive in general, as it is envisaged by UN resolution 1546.
Iraq is bleeding from the wounds inflicted by acts of extremism - of suicide car bombs that deliberately target innocent Iraqi people. Just like the one that targeted unemployed workers queuing for desperately needed work on 14 September 2005 and killed indiscriminately over 150 construction workers and cleaners.
And a few weeks prior to the above horror, Iraq saw another great tragedy committed by a terrorist inspired panic, which lead to the death of thousands of innocent Iraqi men, women and children, in the stampede on Al Khadamiya Bridge in Baghdad.
On the draft constitution, the IWF support the draft in general, although we have great reservations about the draft being proposed for a referendum on 15 October 2005.
The IWF reservations are firstly the reference to Islam as the source of law and specifically with reference to women’s civil rights - inheritance, divorce and children. The IWF support the principle of federalism to Iraqi Kurdistan but strongly oppose the sectarian way to divide Iraq.
Please allow me to say few words on the latest developments within the Iraqi trade union movement.
The IFTU since its foundation on the 16 May 2003 insisted on the importance and need to reform the Iraqi labour movement into one single TUC, not on an ideological basis but as a genuine democratic and independent national trade union movement, independent of state and political parties.
I am proud to report that after months of detailed discussions in Baghdad and across Iraq, the three trade union federations in Iraq (IFTU, GFTU and the GFITU) have merged together on the 20 September 2005 and have formed the Iraqi Workers Federation (IWF).
With your help, the TUC and the international Labour movement (ICFTU), the IWF can play an important role in helping a sovereign and democratic Iraq to emerge from the long night mare of Saddam.
In all these tasks we appeal for your help.
Abdullah Muhsin
IWF
Labour Party Conference
28 September 2005
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