The Iraqi Federation of Workers' Trade Unions (IFTU) participated in the
annual conference of the historic Fabian Society in London on Saturday
7th February.
The IFTU was represented by its London-based representative, Abdullah
Muhsin, together with Gary Kent from Harry Barnes MP's office, and an
information leaflet was available to nearly 1,000 participants from
around Britain.
The conference was opened by the Fabian General Secretary, Mr Sunder
Katwala and the group's Chairman and Education Minister, Mr Stephen
Twigg.
The keynote speech was delivered by the Rt. Hon Peter Hain, Leader of
the House of Commons.
The IFTU representative participated in a workshop on "the Time
Squeeze." This was addressed by Mr Brendan Barber, the TUC General
Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP minister at the Deputy Prime Minister's
office and the respected left British writer, Will Hutton.
Mr Barber said that British working people work more than their European
counterparts. Technology should serve people and people should not be
servants to it. He also outlined how longer working hours put enormous
negative strains upon our societies. Women are marginalized more than
men. Civil society is in retreat. People have little time now to engage
in voluntary work or sport, which impacts negatively upon their health.
More people than ever suffer from depression.
Foreign Office position on trade unions in Iraq and the US
Administration
In a separate development, Foreign Office Minister Baroness Symons has
written a letter to Labour MP Harry Barnes, a key ally of the IFTU.
The letter informs the MP that the British Government has raised the
issue of working with the Iraqi trade unions with its US Coalition
partners. The letter says that they "recognise the value of the work
done by the trade unions, and have said that they believe that
democratic trade unions are an essential part of the 'glue of
democracy.'"
The Minister, who is responsible for Middle East affairs in the British
Foreign Office, also says that "The US administration is aware of her
Majesty's Governments position on this matter, and we continue to work
closely with them to support democratic trade unions in Iraq."
The IFTU representative, Abdullah Muhsin, who has had several "very
productive" meetings with Foreign Office officials commented that "this
letter demonstrates that the British Foreign Office, together with the
TUC, is playing a progressive role. I very much hope that influence from
our British friends will persuade the US authorities to explain how it
raided our headquarters in Baghdad in December, apologise for the action
and offer suitable compensation."
Harry Barnes MP has also tabled a cross-party Commons motion on the
issue. The motion reads as follows:
EDM 556
THE UNITED STATES AND IRAQI TRADE UNIONISM
04.02.04
Mr Harry Barnes, Dr Vincent Cable, Mr Martin Caton, Harry Cohen, Tom
Cox, Mrs Ann Cryer, Mr Andrew Dismore, Paul Flynn, Mr Iain Luke, Rob
Marris, Mr Kevin McNamara, Alan Simpson.
That this House notes that in his 2004 State of the Union address
President Bush declared his intention to double the budget of the
National Endowment for Democracy, and to focus its new work on the
development of free elections, and free markets, free press, and free
labour unions in the Middle East; notes with regret, however, the raid
by US occupation forces in the Baghdad headquarters of the free trade
union movement in Iraq, and that the offices are still closed whilst
trade union assets are still frozen; and calls upon the US
Administration to initiate a full inquiry into the circumstances of the
original raid on 6th December 2003, to explain its actions, to issue an
apology, to offer compensation and to make it its policy fully to
recognise the positive role of secular trade unions whilst it remains an
occupying power.