Protest against Iraqi military’s involvement against Basra oil workers

This video from the USA says about itself:

Hassan Jumaa Awad al Assadi, President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU), spoke to over 200 people at Friends Meeting House on Wednesday 18th July 2007.

In Iraq, arrests of oil workers’ leaders threaten.

From the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions:

ICEM Protests Iraqi Military’s Involvement in Basra Oil Strike

Due to the Iraqi military surrounding striking Basra oil pipeline workers, the 20-million-member ICEM today called on the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to conclude peaceful negotiations with the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU) in order to resolve their legitimate trade union demands.

In a letter to the Prime Minister from ICEM General Secretary Manfred Warda, the global union federation of oil, gas, and energy unions throughout the world, stated, “On Tuesday evening, we learnt from the union that the Iraqi army had surrounded the strikers yesterday (5 June).

The situation was, we understand, extremely tense.

Urgent negotiations with your representatives have led to a temporary return to work to allow further negotiations, but the army remains in position and the situation remains very tense.”

Pipeline workers of the 26,000-member IFOU, first struck pipe number 42 in the early hours of Monday, 4 June, following a company communication that a normal payment made to workers would not be forthcoming.

Prior to the strike there had been weeks of negotiation, over a range of demands including terms and conditions of work, health and safety, and the future of the oil industry in Iraq.

The following morning, 5 June, the strike strengthened when oil workers cut off the flow of oil from another pipeline.

That was followed by Iraqi military troops surrounding the strikers.

“I assure you that military intervention in the dispute is not the way to resolve matters,” stated the ICEM letter to Prime Minister al-Maliki.

“In particular, we urge you to ensure that there are no arrests or detentions of any strikers or strike leaders, and no one involved is physically harmed.

Genuine negotiations over the workers’ legitimate grievances must take place.”

The ICEM is calling on all its 384 affiliated trade unions in 124 countries to send messages of support to IFOU.

The ICEM is coordinating efforts to assist the IFOU together with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the US Solidarity Center, and the UK’s Trades Union Congress.

For background on this week’s strike, visit here.

For further information, contact Jim Catterson, Intl. Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine & General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) Energy Officer:

+32 2 626 2045
Jim.catterson@icem.org

See also here.

This video from the USA is called US Labor Against the War Opposes Iraqi Oil Privatization.

From the text with this video at YouTube:

Ms. Denice Lombard sharply criticized the Bush-Cheney Gang’s legislative ploy, via the Iraq Supplemental Funding Bill, to privatize the oil of Occupied Iraq.

She said: “We…oppose the scheme that undermines Iraqi national sovereignty and that deprives the Iraqi people of the full benefit of their natural resources.”

The Bill passed by the U.S. Congress, via its benchmarks, will provide for the privatization of Iraqi oil.

It was signed into law on May 25, 2007, by President George W. Bush, after getting rubber stamped by the Democratic-controlled U.S. Congress.

It requires the regime in Iraq to pass a law called, “The Hydrocarbon Act.”

If they refuse to do so over a billion dollars in reconstruction funds will be blocked by the Bush-Cheney administration.

The US Labor Against the War group is a coalition of over 150 unions, representing over four million workers.

Ms. Lombard spoke at a Capitol Hill press conference, on May 24, 2007, which was called by Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH), one of the leading opponents of the Iraqi oil give-a-way scheme.

Update 7 June 2007: here.