[news] Message from the Union of the Unemployed in Iraq

[Eric R.]

Official Letter from the Union of the Unemployed in Iraq - UUI
 
To: All labor unions and organizations around the world
 
In the aftermath of the U.S devastating war on Iraq and on the 
following May Day, we, a group of activists in the labor movement, 
have founded the Union of the Unemployed in Iraq-UUI. Our decision 
to form this union was an essential response to the extraordinary 
circumstances in which Iraq has gone through.
 
13 years of economic sanctions as well as the dominance of the 
Ba'ath regime have had its greatest impact on imposing the
minimum standards of living, the most inhuman working conditions, and a 
large-scale unemployment on the masses of workers.
 
The Anglo-American war, which ended with the occupation of Iraq, has 
pushed further up the unemployment rates to dreadful levels. Most of 
the industrial and service facilities and institutions were rendered 
out of service and thousands of factories and smaller workshops have 
closed their doors either due to lack of water and electricity, or 
due to lack of security. Rumors are widely being spread around that 
the U.S is thinking of privatizing the public sector. This clearly 
means an increase in unemployment among workers. Millions of workers 
are out of work with absolutely no means of earning a living, 
threatened with hunger while the food ration, distributed by the 
previous regime is rapidly running out.
 
We have formed our union to bring all unemployed workers together 
and to push forward their basic demands. The Union of the Unemployed 
in Iraq has currently around 15,000 members across the country, with 
centres in 3 major cities in Baghdad, Kirkuk and Nasiriya. Since 
founding our union we have organized weekly demonstrations to draw 
the attentions of the occupying forces to our status and conditions, 
but there has been no response to our demands so far. Our demands 
could be summarized: either Jobs or Unemployment Insurance. We also 
demand: emergency allowances to all unemployed and full payments to 
all those who lost their jobs because of war.
 
Since May 24th., 2003, we have been in continuous negotiations with 
the U.S Civil Administration, in vain. They are clearly postponing 
and maneuvering.
 
Dear Friends,
 
Our union has decided to organize a big demonstration across Iraq on 
Thursday, July 3rd, 2003. We, therefore, entreat you to support us 
in our demands. You could express your solidarity with us either 
through organizing protesting rallies or demonstrations or holding 
big protesting gatherings on the day of our demonstration, in front 
of those authorities that are responsible for our current situation 
i.e. the British and the American authorities. You could also send 
us letters of solidarity to our union and letters of protest to the 
US and British consulates and embassies in your countries. 
 
We call on the workers of the US and Britain in particular to raise 
their voices against their governments which deny us our simplest 
demands.
 
Your solidarity with us will certainly reinforce the impact of our 
protests to compel the occupation forces in Iraq to submit to our 
demands.
 
In Solidarity,
Issam Shukri,
International Relations Coordinator 
Union of the Unemployed in Iraq – UUI
Bab Al-Sharki, Al Rasheed St., Old Labor Union Bldg. Baghdad, Iraq
 
Email: union_u_iraq at yahoo.com
     

 

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