Dear STWC,
You may be aware that Iraq Union Solidarity (IUS) is an activist campaign, which makes solidarity with the emerging Iraqi trade unions. We collect money for Iraqi unions, help publicise their struggles, help to get them to speak at union conferences and set up direct links between workers in Iraq and in the UK.
I’m sure you can appreciate that trying to form trade unions in Iraq is a very difficult and dangerous thing to do. It has taken over 200 years in the UK for us to form and enjoy legal trade unions. In Iraq, workers are still fighting for the basic necessities which our ancestors won centuries ago; such as to be allowed to organise, to have facilities, to not have state interference, and to be consulted on workplace matters. In IUS we constantly hear stories of Iraqi trade unionists who have been killed, arrested, tortured, assassinated, silenced, abused or restricted either by coalition forces or sectarian forces who are hostile to trade unions. We would expect that anyone who genuinely wants peace and democracy in Iraq, would welcome the formation of trades unions there, and would give them as much help as possible.
It is therefore with deep sadness and outrage that we learned at our last meeting, that leaders of STWC had once again attacked the Iraqi left/Iraqi trade unionists. Dashty Jamal reported to us that he and the Worker Communist Party of Iraq (who have helped to form the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq) were harassed by STWC stewards. WCPI had a bookstall with a banner reading “No to America, No to Political Islam” which was blocked by STWC stewards. STWC stewards put an SWP stall up in front of the WCPI stall, blocking its access. Dashty asked politely several times for STWC to remove their stall, when they failed to comply, he removed it himself.
Also STWC stewards called the British police to harass the Iraqi comrades saying, “We have organised this demo.
You can’t have banners which say that.” IUS was not aware that STWC have become the Thought Police, who call on the British state police to help them out to suppress the Iraqi left.
Dashty also reported that whilst an Iraqi woman called Nadia Mahmood was being interviewed and filmed, STWC stewards and others shouted, jeered, harassed and abused her.
These events coupled with statements made in the past by leaders of STWC, we find to be wholly unacceptable.
It is possible that the STWC stewards who conducted these attacks, did not agree with the statement on the WCPI banner. We believe that dialogue and debate is the best way of resolving disagreements, not the suppression of such ideas. I will repeat my previous invitation to STWC for a debate on the question of political Islam and the role of Iraqi trades unions; though I expect that this request will be ignored.
Above all we would like an apology to Dashty, Nadia, the WCPI, FWCUI for this incident and the IFTU (now part of the FWI) for the attacks they have endured from leading members of STWC, who claim to uphold the principle of “Respect.”
We hope to hear from you soon about this very serious matter, though if you ignore this letter we will conclude that you are simply continuing your pattern of ignoring or suppressing views, which you are unable to deal with. This might be tolerable if we were discussing something trivial, but you know that we are not. To continue your tactics will inevitably destroy the STW movement, empower sectarian forces in Iraq, enflame the civil war there and will benefit no one who genuinely wants peace and democracy in Iraq.
Yours Sincerely
Pauline Bradley
Convenor
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