Skip to content or view screen version

The General Union of Oil Employees relaunches as the Federation of Oil Unions Ir

naftana member | 04.11.2005 18:18

The General Union of Oil Employees, Basra, has re-launched as a federation of oil trade unions, after the recent incorporation of oil workers' groups in Central Iraq.

The UK Support committee for the now IFOU - formerly known as the GUOE - General Union of Oil Employees - recieved this statement from the union last month. More information regarding the possible affiliation of an independent oil union in Kirkuk is expected soon. But the ball is rolling, the Union is expanding into an Iraq-wide oil workers federation and upping the ante, organisationally, against the encroaching privatisation of Iraq's oil and maintaining an 'Out Now' stance for an IMMEDIATE end to the brutal occupation - military and economic - of Iraq. They need as much support as possible.

Naftana (Arabic: 'our oil'), is the GUOE's UK support committe. To sign up for our alerts, please send an email to:  naftana-subscribe@lists.riseup.net . These are sent every month or so, and keep supporters informed of strikes, and other union activities. If you also send your mobile phone number, we will add you to the urgent alerts list, which will be used to mobilise protests in the event of attacks on GUOE members.

See also the union's home page for regular news updates

www.basraoilunion.org


***********************************************************************


Public Announcement

All are aware of the role that Iraqi labour unions have played in the
previous and present phrases of Iraq's history as the most important basis of Iraqi society for development and construction. Unions continued with their work until they became the object of a conspiracy on the part of the despotic regime, which stripped them of their rights in 1987. After the dictator fell, on 20/04/2003, that is eleven days after the entry of the occupation forces, activists formed the oil Union, the first nucleus of which was the Southern Oil Company and the other oil companies. The Union masterfully led the process of building and reconstruction and equipping of the plants and oil installations and the process of improving living conditions and obtaining the rights of its members.

The Union has participated in many international conferences and enjoys extensive links with international organisations. The Union has taken a courageous stand on many sensitive issues related to the capacities of the Iraqi people and has a clear position vis-à-vis the occupying forces.

Building on what has gone before and in accordance with present
experiences of Iraqis as part of embodying the practice of democracy for the new phase, we announce with God's blessing the formation of the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq, with its centre in Basra, composed of unions representing the oil sector in Basra, Meisan, and DhiQar, as a Federation specialised in all aspects of the oil sector and part of the movement of Iraqi labour unions.

At this moment as we announce the establishment of the Federation, its doors are open to all workers in the oil sector throughout Iraq from the north to the south and we welcome the support of all civil society organisations to this federation which is in the service of the public interest.

God disposes,
The Executive Committee of the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq
Basra 12/10/2005

naftana member