13 January 2005
Assassination an Affront To International Human and Union Rights
The brutal torture and assassination of Hadi Salih,International Secretary of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) at his home of January 4th has shocked and angered Western Australian unionists, and all workers whose enjoyment of universally-accepted democratic rights depends upon their freedom to speak and
associate.
"At a time when our compassion and energies are necessarily focused upon assisting our regional neighbors in the aftermath of the devastating tsunami on December 26th,neither must we forget those who struggle against all odds in other areas of crisis and conflict in order to attain the rights that we all too often take for granted", stated UnionsWA Secretary Dave Robinson.
"Western Australian trade unionists, as do all working people and all Australians, have a big stake in Iraq. On our behalf, our federal government must reassure us that our national efforts and continuing presence there will provide Iraqis like Hadi Salih with the ability to build a free and democratic trade union movement and participate in the reconstruction of their country without threat or fear."
"We call upon our Prime Minister and Foreign Minister to share our expressions of sympathy to Hadi's family and colleagues and publicly express their condemnation of his atrocious murder. The Iraqi people must know that our country, as a principal member of the Coalition of the Willing and partner in the reconstruction of their country,will not be silent when one of their community leaders is blindfolded, tortured and strangled with electrical wire', concluded Robinson.
Background Extracts provided by Labourstart
Hadi Salih, 58, had spent five years in prison under Saddam Hussein after being sentenced to death in 1969 for independent labour activities. Over the last three months, IFTU members and rank and file workers have been murdered and kidnapped as they tried to carry out normal union activity, or simply do their jobs.
On the same day that the tsunami struck our South Asia neighbors, the building housing the Transport and Communications Workers in central Baghdad was shelled.
Iraqi trade union sources believe that Hadi's assassination was carried out by remnants of Saddam Hussein's secret police, the Mukharabat.
Contact: Dave Robinson 0417 060 360
Posted at January 17, 2005 10:57 PM