The Transport and Communication Workers' Union (IFTU) is proud to report its recent decision to affiliate to the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF). A formal letter applying for affiliation to the Global Union Federation was hand-delivered to the ITF General Secretary, David Cockroft in London recently.
The ITF was founded in 1896 in London by European seafarers' and dockers' union leaders who realised the need to organise internationally against strike breakers. During the 1920s and 30s in Europe, the ITF worked to oppose the rise of fascism. Today 624 unions representing 4,400,000 transport workers in 142 countries are members of the ITF. It is one of several Global Federation Unions allied with the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU). The Iraqi Railway Workers' Union is also currently in the process of affiliation to the ITF.
As part of an ongoing organising and trade union education drive, the Transport & Communication Workers' Union recently held several open seminars for members of its Baghdad branches. The meetings, which took place throughout March and April were open to the Iraqi media and other interested representatives of civil society organisations and were attended by many hundreds of rank and file trade union activists.
The seminars were organised as a forum for Iraqi transport workers to discuss many issue of interest to the union particularly developing a trade union strategy for tackling problems of wage levels, working conditions, pensions and unemployment.
Those attending the seminars were able to hear reports and question IFTU representatives who have been attending discussions under the auspices of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) to formulate clear and broadly-supported demands for a new labour code to form part of the new Iraqi Constitution currently under discussion in the Iraqi Parliament.
The IFTU also announced that it has begun preparations for its 2005 May Day celebrations and public rally in central Baghdad. The IFTU has booked Baghdad's National Theatre as a venue for its celebrations of international workers' day when we commemorate the Haymarket Martyrs and all the victims of the struggle against oppression and exploitation and for workers' dignity and freedom.
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Posted at April 15, 2005 12:42 PM