Arrest Warrants Still in Force on Iraqi Union Leaders - Strike Planned for Monday

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.basraoilunion.org/2007/06/arrest-warrants-still-in-force-on-union.html

Friday, June 08, 2007
Arrest Warrants Still in Force on Union Leaders - Strike Planned for Monday

Arrest Warrants Still in Force on Iraqi Union Leaders - Strike Planned for Monday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PRESS RELEASE

Friday 8th June 2007

The president of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU), HassanJuma’a has informed Naftana* at about 3.30 PM London time (Friday 8thJune 2007) that the arrest warrants against the leaders of the Federation have not been withdrawn, and he made an urgent appeal toworld trade unionists and the anti-war movement to step up the solidarity campaignwith Iraq’s oil workers and trade unionists.

Hassan Juma’a said “the arrest warrants, issued by the prime minister’s office, are still in force, despite the Federation’s decision topostpone the strike till Monday 11th June to allow for furthernegotiations.” US jet planes were buzzing the skies of Basra as he spoketo Naftana on the phone. He added that Iraqi army tanks and other forces were still besieging workers in Sheiba, in Basra governorate, but that the workers willresume the strike on Monday if their demands were not met.

IFOU members started strike action on Monday in the pipeline section, paralyzing oil and gas supplies to many areas, including Baghdad. Thevery effective strike action was postponed on Wednesday to allow forfurther talks regarding the union’s 16 demands, relating to salaryscales, better health and work conditions and demanding consultation ontheproposedoil law. The so called Hydrocarbon Law is opposed by the union,which regards it as being against the Iraqi people’s interests and animposition by the occupation governments.

The Federation’s leader urged all unions and the anti-war movement to“step up their solidarity with the our union and the struggle of ourbrave members.”

Naftana

For further information contact:

Sami Ramadani – 07863 138748 [e-mail] Mahdi – [e-mail] Jawad – 07985 336886 [e-mail] for editors:Naftana is an independent UK-based committee supporting democratic trade unionism in Iraq. It works in solidarity with the IFOU. It strives to publicise the union’s struggle for Iraqi social and economic rights andits stand against the privatisation of Iraqi oil demanded by theoccupying powers.For more information and international appeals for solidarity action seethe IFOU’s website www.basraoilunion.org

posted by Ewa Jasiewicz at 8:48 PM


General Union of Oil Employees in Basra

The General Union of Oil Employees in Basra, Iraq, has its roots in the Southern Oil Company Trade Union, which was established after the occupation began in April 2003. The goal of the union, is to re-organise the relationship between workers and the company’s administration in order to fight for workers’ rights.