Month: March 2009

See LabourStart and support the campaign. The Iraqi Teachers Union is under attack from the Iraqi Government. The government has authorized an official body to take over the union under the pretext of forcing the union to hold elections. It is worth noting that the ITU has already held several national conferences since 2003 and had elected an ITU leadership openly and democratically. The government attempts are illegitimate, unacceptable and a blatant violation and interference in the internal democratic affairs of the union. They also violate the Iraqi constitution which guarantees workers the right to organize. The ITU leadership has … Continue reading Teachers union faces threat of government takeover

Chnar Saad, the Minister in the Kurdistan Regional Government for Anfal and Martyrs met MPs and myself today to discuss how best to mark the Anfal of the late 1980s – Saddams genocidal attack on Iraqi Kurds in which 182,000 men, women and children were murdered and most villages in Iraqi Kurdistan were razed to the ground, to the last brick. The Iraqi Parliament has recognised Anfal as genocide and this should be taken up by the international community. The Anfal is a living reality in Iraqi Kurdistan which still suffers the continuing effects of chemical attacks. Gary Kent Director, … Continue reading Marking Anfal

The Guardian reports on British tourists in Iraq

Please support TUC initiative 28 March 2009 March and rally ahead of the G20 summit in London. Sign the petition and send your message to the G20 http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk

Detailed opinion polls show that Iraqis are much more hopeful about the future and are increasingly pre-occupied with more conventional worries like the economy and jobs.

His Excellency Mr Abdulmuhaimen Al-Oreibi Dear Mr Al-Oreibi Unjust punishment of Kareem Johi Sahan, Petrochemical Workers Union, Basra The TUC strongly protests the unjust punishment of Kareem Johi Sahan, a trade union leader of the Petrochemical Workers Union of Basra by the State Company for Petrochemical Industries (SCPI) – wholly owned by the Iraqi Government. We call on your government to drop the unjust disciplinary measures against him, and compensate him for any injuries suffered. As you may be aware, Kareem Johi led a peaceful workers’ protest in late January calling for SCPI to meet its pay obligations to workers. … Continue reading TUC protest to Iraqi Embassy

LFIQ Vice-President Harry Barnes highlights the plight of Iraqi widows on International Womens Day.

TUC calling for protests The TUC has called for protests to be aimed at the Iraqi Embassy in London over attempts by the Iraqi Government to seize control of the Iraqi Teachers Union (ITU). Urging trade union members to email their protest to the Iraqi Ambassador, the Chair of the TUC Iraq Solidarity Committee and Treasurer of teacher union NASUWT Sue Rogers said: ‘The Iraqi Government is acting like Saddam Hussein, treating unions as the property of the state. Iraqi trade unionists and teacher trade unions around the world are outraged at this latest attempt to seize control of our … Continue reading Iraqi Government tries to seize control of teacher union

Jeff Weintraub here discusses the provincial election results and differences on the future of Iraq between its different parties. He concludes that pluralist federalism in Iraq has to be recognized as a serious alternative to both partition and re-centralization, and I think we should all agree that for outsiders to try to force either of those alternatives on the Iraqis (including, let us not forget, that 20% Kurdish minority who are currently thriving in the northern provinces) would be a great mistake. Hat Tip: Normblog

Ranj Alaaldin and James Denselow debate progress in Iraq. Ranj Alaaldin argues that there is still room for improvement; public services, for example, are inadequate. However, the fact that success in Iraq is no longer being defined by the number of attacks the country suffers but by the standard of its services is a natural and welcome development, one that suggests Iraq has defied all the odds and is well on its way to becoming that flourishing, pluralistic state that few expected it to be, and one where the rule of law dictates over the rule of war.