The General Federation of Iraqi Workers is the main national trade union centre in Iraq. It bring workers together regardless of gender, age religion and ethnicity in pursuit of commons aims of a free and democratic Iraq with a prosperous economy , where Iraqi workers enjoy better working condition, fair wages and safer environment for themselves and their families.
In September 2005 the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) signed a historic merger statement with the leaders of the General Federation of Trade Unions (the old official trade union movement of Iraq) and the GFITU, which had split from the GFTU after the invasion. (You can read the statement below.)
The GFIW is preparing for the founding unity Conference of the new organisation in summer 2007. The GFIW covers 15 provinces of Iraq’s 18 regions. The GFIW does not operate in Iraqi Kurdistan's three provinces ( Erbil, Duhok and Sulymania).
The GFIW conference will deal with the issues of unemployment, anti-union laws (both old ones from the Saddam era and new ones from the current government), the oil and gas law, privatization and foreign investment, the economy, the absence of a labour code that adhere to the ILO standards, and a social security code. The conference will debate means to strengthen the internal democracy of the federation on the basis of unity, pluralism and transparency. Key themes of the conference will be unity, democracy, and social justice, respect of human rights, progress in the economy, the restoring of Iraq sovereignty and the removing of foreign troops from the soil of a federal, united and democratic Iraq.
Here is the merger statement in full:
Agreement on the Unity of the Iraqi Trade Union Movement
Considering the efforts made by the General Secretary of the ICATU to monitor developments in the trade union situation in Iraq following the occupation.
Considering the resolutions of the ICATU Central Council and its Congress.
Considering the initiative by the General Secretary of the ICATU aimed at unifying the Iraqi trade union movement based on the following principles:
1. Rejection of the occupation in all its forms and with all its consequences.
2. Commitment to the independence of Iraq, to the unity of its territory and people, and to its place within the Arab world.
3. Autonomy, unity and democracy of the union movement.
4. Restructuring of the union movement based on healthy foundations free of racial, party political or religious influences.
5. Defence of the rights and interests of workers.
6. The holding of free and democratic general union elections once the circumstances allow it.
Considering all the contacts and meetings held by the General Secretary of the ICATU with various sections of the trade union movement in Iraq, and the initiatives and efforts made by international organisations.
Recalling the conclusions of the meeting in Damascus on 19/2/2004 chaired by Brother Hacene Djemam, General Secretary of the ICATU, which brought together two delegations of workers from Iraq, one of which was led by Djamil Al Jabbouri and the other by Rassem Al Aouadi, which noted the urgent need to rebuild the Iraqi trade union movement, and to organise democratic union elections overseen by the ICATU and relevant international organisations to ensure that all can participate in them.
Recalling the contacts and consultations by the General Secretariat with the President of the Central Council of the ICATU, the presidents and general secretaries of the affiliated organisations of the ICATU and international and national sister organisations, and in particular LO Norway in view of its support for this initiative by the Iraqi trade union federations to integrate and unite the trade union movement so as to work better towards achieving the shared goals of the movement and contributing to the rebuilding of Iraq.
Based on the conclusions of various meetings that led to the establishment of a joint coordination committee for the 3 existing federations and the agreement on certain issues, with support from the ICATU General Secretary.
Based on the goals of the ICATU Constitution:
Representatives of the following 3 trade union federations were invited to a meeting in Damascus on 19/9/2005 : the General Workers Federation of Iraq ( represented by Djabbar Al Tareche Fares and members of the coordination committee; the General Workers Federation of the Republic of Iraq represented by Khalil Ibrahim Mechhadani and members of the coordination committee; and the General Federation of Workers Unions in Iraq, represented by Rassem Hussein al Aouadi and members of the coordination committee. At that meeting the ILO was represented by Walid Hamdan of the Beirut Office. Following discussions on the circumstances and situation resulting from the occupation, the disastrous repression of working people and the prevailing insecurity, the participants reached agreement on:
1. The creation of a steering committee of the GFIW
The meeting created a steering committee
The task of this steering committee will be:
A. To unify the administrative bodies of the general and regional trade unions within a period of three months.
B. To conduct a survey aimed at identifying existing trade unions and integrating them.
C. To represent the GFIW in inspection committees and other such bodies and to negotiate with the government or any other authority.
D. To act as the legal representative of the Iraqi Federation in Arab organisations such as the ICATU, and in relations with industry federations, the ALO (Arab Labour Organization) and the ILO.
2. This steering committee of the GFIW will be in charge of conducting trade union activities until circumstances allow the holding of general union elections.
3. The ICATU General Secretary will present this body to the ICATU General Council with a view to the GFIW being reintegrated in the ICATU in accordance with the latter's constitution.
4. The representatives reaffirm the autonomy and independence of the trade union movement and its united determination to refuse any domination by political parties or governments, and any form of external interference, so as to serve workers better and strengthen the organisation's role in society.
5. Under the supervision of the ICATU and with help from the ILO, the steering committee will draw up a draft constitution for the Federation, which must be in line with Arab and international labour standards; this will come into force on a provisional basis, on its adoption by the committee, subject to formal approval by the general congress of the Federation.
6. The assets of the three united federations will become the assets of theGFIW, including the bank accounts, fixed and movable property, vehicles, printing equipment, etc., and will be managed by the GFIW.
7. The signatories to this agreement strongly reject Ministerial Order no 8750 of 8 August 2005, which provides for interference in the internal affairs of the union movement and the confiscation of trade union assets and constitutes a threat to the very survival of the trade unions.
8. The signatories to this agreement call on the ILO, the ALO and all national trade union organisations, from the Arab world and the region, to provide material and moral solidarity to the Iraqi trade union movement.
9. All Iraqi trade union organisations are welcome to join this initiative.
10. In the event of disputes as to the interpretation of this agreement, recourse should be made to the ICATU for such interpretation.
11. An update on what has been achieved should be made in two months' time.
Posted at September 30, 2005 09:51 AM