On May 28, 2008, Chevron and
ExxonMobil Corporations will each conduct their annual shareholder meetings. Chevron will convene its meeting at its world headquarters in San Ramon, CA.
ExxonMobil will conduct its meeting in Dallas, Texas. Antiwar, environmental
and other social justice organizations will conduct protests at each
event.
The following statement
from the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq to the shareholders of each
corporation will be presented at press conferences conducted in conjunction with
these protests. The statement was transmitted by Hassan Juma'a Awad, President
of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions, to U.S. Labor Against the War for
presentation at these events.
To: The Shareholders of ExxonMobil and Chevron Corporations and All Peace
Loving People of the World
From: Hassan
Juma'a Awad, President, Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions
(IFOU)
We call upon the governments,
corporations and other institutions behind the ongoing occupation of Iraq to
respond to our demands for real democracy, true sovereignty and
self-determination, free of all foreign interference.
Five years of
invasion, war and occupation have brought nothing but death, destruction, misery
and suffering to our people. In the name of our "liberation," more than a
million of our citizens have been killed or wounded, our nation's schools,
hospitals and other infrastructure have been destroyed, our neighbourhoods have
been bombed, our homes have been broken into, our children have been
traumatized, many of our family members and neighbours have been assaulted and
arrested, our national treasures have been looted, and nearly twenty percent of
our people have been turned into refugees.
The continued occupation fuels
the violence in Iraq rather than alleviating it. The occupation has helped to
foment and then exploit sectarian divisions and terror attacks where there had
been none.
The Ba'athist legislation of 1987, which banned trade unions
in the public sector and public enterprises (80% of all workers), is still in
effect and continues to be enforced against us. Our union offices have been
raided. Union property has been seized and destroyed. Our bank accounts have
been frozen. Our leaders have been beaten, arrested, abducted and assassinated.
Our rights as workers are routinely violated. This is an attack on our rights
and the basic precepts of a democratic society. It is a grim reminder of the
shadow of dictatorship still stalking our country.
We call upon you and
all the world's peace-loving peoples to help us to end the nightmare of
occupation and restore our sovereignty and national independence so that we can
chart our own course to the future.
-
We demand an immediate
withdrawal of all foreign troops from our country, and utterly reject the
agreement being negotiated with the USA for long-term bases and a military
presence. Iraq must be returned to full sovereignty.
-
We demand the passage of a
labour law promised by our Constitution, that adheres to ILO principles to
protect the rights of workers to organize, bargain and strike, independent of
state control and interference and on which Iraqi trade unionists have been
fully consulted.
-
We demand an
end to meddling in our sovereign economic affairs by the International Monetary
Fund, the USA and UK, and multinational energy corporations, and recognition
that no major economic decisions concerning our services and resources can be
made while foreign troops occupy our country.
-
We demand that the US
government, oil companies and others immediately cease lobbying for the oil law
which would fracture the country and hand control over our oil to multinational
companies like ExxonMobil and Chevron. We demand that all oil companies be
prevented from entering into any long-term agreement concerning oil while Iraq
remains occupied. The Iraqi government must tear up the current draft of the oil
law, and begin to develop a legitimate oil policy based on full and genuine
consultation with the Iraqi people. Only after all occupation forces are gone
should a long term plan for the development of our oil resources be
adopted.
We seek your support and
solidarity to help us end the military and economic occupation of our
country.
We look forward to the day when we have a world based on
co-operation and solidarity. We look forward to a world free from war,
sectarianism, competition and exploitation.
May 28, 2008
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this statement in PDF format | 
