Iraq oil union president to tour UK
naftana | 25.11.2005 13:34 | Anti-militarism | Social Struggles | Workers' Movements
Organising over 23,000 workers in Iraq's oil and gas industries, the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq (IFOU) is struggling against both the US/UK military occupation and the corporate-led privatisation of Iraq's industry. The president of the federation, Hasan Jumaa Awad, is touring the UK and addressing public meetings during November and December.
Here is the latest itinery for Hassan Jumaa's tour. See below for more information about the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions
Public Meeting Itinerary for Hassan Jumaa Awad, President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions
Saturday 26th
London: ‘Voices from Occupied Iraq’ Iraq Occupation Focus teach-in. 10am-5pm, University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1 Other speakers include: Gilbert Achcar; Ismaeel Dawood (human rights activist, Baghdad); Rahul Mahajan; Professor Kamil Mahdi; Sami Ramadami; Haifa Zangana. www.iraqoccupationfocus.org.uk
Monday 28th
Manchester: ‘Iraqi Trades Unions Speak Out’. 7.30pm, Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, city centre. Public meeting organised by United for Peace (Greater Manchester STWC, Muslim Association of Britain and Greater Manchester and District CND) and Manchester Trades Council.
Tuesday 29th
Liverpool: Socialist Workers Party rally. 7.30pm, Holiday Inn, opposite Lime Street Station. Other speakers include Chris Harman, editor of International Socialist and Chris Nineham.
Wednesday 30th
Glasgow: 'Stop the Privatisation of Iraq's oil - troops out now'. 7.30pm, Renfield St Stephens Centre, Bath Street. Public meeting organized by the Scottish Socialist Party and sponsored by the RMT. Speakers include Richie Venton, SSP and an RMT Rep.
Wednesday December 7th
Evening Public Meeting, Vtba (organising group tbc)
Thursday December 8th
Evening Public Meeting, Vtba (organising group tbc)
Saturday 10th
London: Stop the War Coaltion International Peace Conference. 10am – 8pm, Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street, London SW1P 2QD. Other speakers include Ayattolla Jawad al Khalissi, (Gen Sec, Iraqi National Foundation Congress), Sheikh Hassan Al Zargani, (Al Sadr Movement), Hana Ibrahim, (Women's Will Association), Dr Khair Eldin Hasseeb, (Centre for Arab Unity Studies) Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin (Code Pink), Judy Linehan, (MFSO), Kelly Dougherty (IVAW) www.stopwar.org.uk
For all enquiries, Please call Ewa Jasiewicz, Iraq occupation Focus and
Naftana 07749 421 576
www.basraoilunion.org
BACKGROUND:
The forerunner to the IFOU was the Southern Oil Company Union (SOCU), founded in May 2003 by worker activists from the Southern Oil Company. This and other unions from Amara, Basra and Nassiriyah provinces, merged in June 2004 to form the General Union of Oil Employees (GUOE), which has now grown into the IFOU. This union federation remains technically illegal, but President Hassan Jumaa states:
‘We take our legitimacy from the workers’
Position on the Occupation
‘It is a deep and patriotic feeling of all the union’s members that the occupation forces must leave the country immediately, whatever the consequences’. Hassan Jumaa: ‘Only a mercenary benefiting from the occupation would want it to continue any longer’.
Position on Privatisation
‘The privatisation of the oil and industrial sectors is the objective of all in the Iraqi state/government. We will stand firm against this imperialist plan that would hand over Iraq's wealth to international capitalism such that the deprived Iraqi people would not benefit from it…we are taking this path for the sake of Iraq's glory even if it costs us our lives. Iraqis are capable of managing their companies and their investments by themselves’
Position on political Independence
'The GUOE in Basra is an independent union, not linked in the present phase to any [union] confederation.
Position on the previous regime
IFOU executive committee members, including its President, were part of the opposition against Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, and many were imprisoned by the regime. The unions in the federation have an ongoing battle with Ba'ath loyalist managers. The IFOU publicly opposes their continued presence in positions of authority, in particular in the oil industry.
The IFOU needs your solidarity and support
Naftana (Arabic: 'our oil'), is the IFOU'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 IFOU members.
See also the federation's home page for regular news updates
www.basraoilunion.org
Public Meeting Itinerary for Hassan Jumaa Awad, President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions
Saturday 26th
London: ‘Voices from Occupied Iraq’ Iraq Occupation Focus teach-in. 10am-5pm, University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1 Other speakers include: Gilbert Achcar; Ismaeel Dawood (human rights activist, Baghdad); Rahul Mahajan; Professor Kamil Mahdi; Sami Ramadami; Haifa Zangana. www.iraqoccupationfocus.org.uk
Monday 28th
Manchester: ‘Iraqi Trades Unions Speak Out’. 7.30pm, Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, city centre. Public meeting organised by United for Peace (Greater Manchester STWC, Muslim Association of Britain and Greater Manchester and District CND) and Manchester Trades Council.
Tuesday 29th
Liverpool: Socialist Workers Party rally. 7.30pm, Holiday Inn, opposite Lime Street Station. Other speakers include Chris Harman, editor of International Socialist and Chris Nineham.
Wednesday 30th
Glasgow: 'Stop the Privatisation of Iraq's oil - troops out now'. 7.30pm, Renfield St Stephens Centre, Bath Street. Public meeting organized by the Scottish Socialist Party and sponsored by the RMT. Speakers include Richie Venton, SSP and an RMT Rep.
Wednesday December 7th
Evening Public Meeting, Vtba (organising group tbc)
Thursday December 8th
Evening Public Meeting, Vtba (organising group tbc)
Saturday 10th
London: Stop the War Coaltion International Peace Conference. 10am – 8pm, Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street, London SW1P 2QD. Other speakers include Ayattolla Jawad al Khalissi, (Gen Sec, Iraqi National Foundation Congress), Sheikh Hassan Al Zargani, (Al Sadr Movement), Hana Ibrahim, (Women's Will Association), Dr Khair Eldin Hasseeb, (Centre for Arab Unity Studies) Cindy Sheehan, Medea Benjamin (Code Pink), Judy Linehan, (MFSO), Kelly Dougherty (IVAW) www.stopwar.org.uk
For all enquiries, Please call Ewa Jasiewicz, Iraq occupation Focus and
Naftana 07749 421 576
www.basraoilunion.org
BACKGROUND:
The forerunner to the IFOU was the Southern Oil Company Union (SOCU), founded in May 2003 by worker activists from the Southern Oil Company. This and other unions from Amara, Basra and Nassiriyah provinces, merged in June 2004 to form the General Union of Oil Employees (GUOE), which has now grown into the IFOU. This union federation remains technically illegal, but President Hassan Jumaa states:
‘We take our legitimacy from the workers’
Position on the Occupation
‘It is a deep and patriotic feeling of all the union’s members that the occupation forces must leave the country immediately, whatever the consequences’. Hassan Jumaa: ‘Only a mercenary benefiting from the occupation would want it to continue any longer’.
Position on Privatisation
‘The privatisation of the oil and industrial sectors is the objective of all in the Iraqi state/government. We will stand firm against this imperialist plan that would hand over Iraq's wealth to international capitalism such that the deprived Iraqi people would not benefit from it…we are taking this path for the sake of Iraq's glory even if it costs us our lives. Iraqis are capable of managing their companies and their investments by themselves’
Position on political Independence
'The GUOE in Basra is an independent union, not linked in the present phase to any [union] confederation.
Position on the previous regime
IFOU executive committee members, including its President, were part of the opposition against Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, and many were imprisoned by the regime. The unions in the federation have an ongoing battle with Ba'ath loyalist managers. The IFOU publicly opposes their continued presence in positions of authority, in particular in the oil industry.
The IFOU needs your solidarity and support
Naftana (Arabic: 'our oil'), is the IFOU'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 IFOU members. See also the federation's home page for regular news updates
www.basraoilunion.org
naftana
e-mail:
naftana@riseup.net
Homepage:
http://www.basraoilunion.org
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