On 9 August 2003 The IFTU in Basra had organized a peaceful demonstration in support of the Transport and Communication Union demands.
Due to the recent sever shortages of both gas and petrol, Iraqi working people in Basra called upon the occupying authority to ensure the sufficient provision of these commodities at the fixed recognized prices.
The protesters carried the following slogans:
Iraq is a country flout on oil, but has no petrol.
Stop the smuggling of petrol.
The Iraqi FTU support the Transport and Communication Union
Under these slogans the demonstration marched in Basra’s streets before heading to the main head quarter of the British occupation authority.
Representative of the British occupation met with Mr. Samer Hanon the vice president of the IFTU (In Basra) in which the latter handed him a petition, which contained the following issues:
1-To clean Iraq’s oil state institutions from Saddam’s loyalists who are currently playing significant role in intensifying crisis by ensuring the continues shortages of both petrol and gas through smuggling operations to neighboring countries.
2-To increase the role of Iraq’s major political parties in the running affairs of Basra.
3- The closures of petrol stations suspected of smugglings petrol and gas.
4-To sell gas and petrol directly to citizens through system of vouchers.
The demonstration was received well among Iraqi working and ordinary Iraqis in Basra. The authority in Basra was coupled to increase the fuels.
Posted at October 6, 2003 06:44 AM