Month: December 2006

Harry Barnes welcomes the new 6.3 million strong international union being developed by Amicus and says that they could develop links with our comrades in the Iraqi labour movement.

Travelling in Iraq, Christopher Hitchens concludes that there is no reason in principle why Iraq could not be one of the most prosperous countries on earth. For the moment, feuding sects use their control over ministries to enrich their own supporters, but even the most blinkered tribalist can glimpse the idea that a shared country would be more beneficial to each than a shattered one.

Masrour Barzani argues that those who fought for liberty and freedom have been forgotten by The Iraq Study Group. He says that To call upon Iraqs neighbors, which have chosen Iraq as a place to fight the United States, is a grave mistake. Seeking their participation would inevitably backfire. They would not only contribute to the instability within the country but would implement agendas in direct contradiction to America’s occupation goals. The author is the director of the Intelligence and Security Agency of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq and a high-ranking member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.

Following a campaign against symbols of Paganism, extremists in Mosul have destroyed a statue of women carrying jars.

Despite violent turmoil and corruption, Iraqs booming economy has left the government with the enviable task of finding capital projects to allocate oil revenues to. Iraq The Model reports on a plan to give 30% of the surplus back to the non-criminal, non-millionaire and non-migrant population. (Dave Spector)

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani says that Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group report offered dangerous recommendations that would undermine his countrys sovereignty and were an insult to the people of Iraq.

The Iraqi international representative briefly outlines the emergence of free unions on this You Tube video.

The American Solidarity Center has produced a leaflet on Worker Rights Abuses in Iraq

Abdullah Muhsin spoke to an AFL-CIO (US TUC) launch of the book on Hadi Saleh, the Iraqi trade union leader brutally murdered by insurgents in Iraq, at a gathering this week in Washington. He said: Iraqis have never had the freedom to organize before. We are trying to shift the attitude. We have had nothing but destruction, death, misery and policy disasters [for so many years]. We are helping to build a society. We are not motivated by religion, ideology, class. We are not men and women. We look at ourselves as citizens and workers. We want a better society … Continue reading Iraqi union representative addresses US unions

LFIQ Joint President Dave Anderson has tabled a fresh Commons motion in support of solidarity His motion has so far been supported by Angela Eagle, Ian Lucas, Anne Moffat, David Hamilton, Alan Meale, Bob Russell, Dr Evan Harris, Andrew George, Denis Murphy, Stephen Hepburn, Dr Roberta Blackman-Woods, Jim McGovern and SDLP leader Mark Durkan. This is the motion That this House is concerned that Iraqi Ministers, through Decree 8750 of August 2005, have frozen the monies of unions, including those affiliated to the Iraqi Workers’ Federation, leaving organisations which represent up to a million Iraqis and which are the bedrock … Continue reading New Commons Motion on Labour Rights in Iraq