Trade unionist urges end to occupation

Morning Star - 7 August 2004
Karl Stewart

IRAQI trade unionist Abdullah Mushen demanded an end to the occupation and a "sovereign and democratic Iraq" in central London on Thursday night. At a packed meeting organised by Camden branch of UNISON, Mr Mushen, who is London representative of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), described how, under Saddam Hussein, the Ba'athist dictatorship turned the state-run General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU) into a "yellow union" and a "tool of oppression."

"It was used to spy on workers and its offices became centres of torture and interrogation where many were murdered," he noted.

Iraqis fought back, launching the illegal Workers Democratic Trade Union Movement in 1980, which organised widespread strikes and protests.

"In 1984," Mr Mushen continued, "the movement organised a huge tobacco workers' strike, but it was brutally crushed and its leaders were executed." Mr Mushen and many other workers' leaders fled the country, but returned early last year to rebuild Iraq's trade union movement in the face of harassment from the new oppressors, the occupation forces.

Since the relaunch of the IFTU last May, 12 new independent trade unions have been set up covering the country's various industrial sectors, organising vigorous workplace recruitment campaigns.

Mr Mushen stressed that, while the struggle to rebuild the workers' movement faces daily opposition from the occupation forces, workers are striking back.

"The IFTU office in Baghdad, which was closed down by the US military last December, is now open again," he said, explaining that the Transport and Communications Union had organised a march on the office last month and had reclaimed and reopened the office themselves.

As well as direct actions such as these, along with strikes and other protests, the IFTU is fighting for a new "labour code" encompassing workers' rights into the new constitution.

Another crucial area of struggle is the fight against unemployment. Official figures stand at a shocking 28 per cent, but, according to Mr Mushen, the true figure could be as high as 50 per cent.

"Our country's history is rich in popular democratic struggle," he said. "The job of the IFTU is to reclaim that tradition and lead the struggle for a strong, democratic and secular Iraq."

Appealing for support from Britain's trade unionists, he vowed: "With the solidarity from the international labour movement, our people can achieve these goals."

posted by abdullah

Posted by abdullah at August 8, 2004 08:42 AM