The Iraqi Journalists Union:
227 deaths of journalists and media workers since the invasion of Iraq.
The Iraqi Journalists Union said in statement on Tuesday 12 of June that 227 journalists and media staff were killed since the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The Union demanded that the Iraqi government and the American forces to "take necessary measures to protect journalists." Al-Alami the Head of the Union said "the real number of Iraqi journalists who were killed in the country since the occupation forces stood at 227 people;" with others "15 are still missing." He added that "the targeting and killing of journalists compelled the union to form a committee to provide ways to ensure safety of journalists during their work.
Reporters without Borders reported that more than 90% of these are Iraqis who were murdered by death squads or the rebel groups in order to prevent them from performing their duty and in the name of the employing which follow often to the local political team.
Al-Alami criticized the American forces for the raid they carried on the headquarters of the Journalists Union on the 20th of February 2007.
On Monday UNESCO issued a statement expressed its concern about the rise number and tragic death of journalists killed in Iraq, calling on the Iraqi authorities and the international community to make every effort to put an end to these crimes.
Workers have decided to take strike action in response to the government decision to abolish the system of self-financing currently in place.
Brother Hadar Aqidi a union official said that Iron and steel and paper, fertilizers and petrochemicals factories have decided together to launch strike action.
Workers at the above factories have conducted sporadic strikes demanding higher salaries and improvement of working conditions.
Basra Association of University Staff and lectures organized a general strike action on June 10 2007.
Staff at all departments supported the strike in protest of the exclusion of the University staff from the university employment Act of 1976.
The head of the Association at Basra University brother Maithem Kazem said that unversity staff are deprived of of academic and it training as a result of a policy exclusion and marginalization. This important segment of society suffered terribly under the former regime of Saddam and their situation however have not improved after the fall of that regime.
The Association conducted this strike to demand that university staff should be included in the university employment Act of 1976.
A committee of the Ministry of Justice is to meet with striking Oil workers to consider their demands.
June 10 /2-0007
Basra /
A Committee from the Justice Ministry, headed by the Deputy Minister of Justice is scheduled to arrive today in Basra Governorate, to discuss the demands of oil pipelines workers who have been on strike a few days ago.
An official of media Department of the oil union brother Mzban Faraj, said workers are waiting to hear the pending of the negotiation between the Ministry committee and the strikers. The strike that started last Monday was about the distribution of annual profits, the dismissal of the company general manager Mr, Salah Aziz Karim and the separation of the company's branch in Basra administratively and financially from its headquarters in the capital, Baghdad and to be added to administrative oil companies in South.
The strike led to the suspension of pumping of petroleum products in a vital pipeline for several days before returning to pump again after a temporary suspension of the strike. In a first reaction to the strike, the Oil Ministry issued a statement saying that strike is harming Iraqi citizen.
Solidarity with the Basra oil workers strike
Statement issued by the General Federation of Iraqi Workers GFIW) in support of the strike of the oil workers In Basra.
Our sisters and brothers in Basra organized strike action against the failure, and lack of response from the Ministry of Oil for the just and legitimate demands of the oil workers for:
The Allocation of plots of land for housing.
The improvement of wages, the distribution of annual profits and pay delayed bonuses.
The improvement of working conditions and safety at work sites.
The GFIW declares its full support and solidarity with the strike by the oil workers in Basra; and call on Dr. Hussein Shahrastani the oil minister to take the necessary measures to address and implement the legitimate demands of the strikers and to cooperate fully with their union.
The GFIW also appeals to our heroes’ brothers and sisters’, the oil workers to safe guard the nation oil wealth as it is the backbone of the Iraqi national economy and to be vigilant of the influence agenda of political parties.
Executive Office of the GFIW June 6, 2007
Note
Today the Justice ministry sent a committee headed by the deputy Minister to Basra to negotiate with strikers.
Iraqi Unionists in Washington, D.C., to Protest U.S. Oil Drain from Iraq
by James Parks, Jun 6, 2007
Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, president of Iraq’s Electrical Utility Workers Union (in light scarf) leads a May Day march in Basra.
www.aflcio.org
Kut, Wasit -Iraq
06 / 06 / 2007
On Wednesday, a strike action was conducted by postal workers in protest for not receiving salaries for the fourth consecutive month months. Three hundred postal workers are left with no wages for 4 months with no good reasons. Three hundred workers means three hundred families left with no food and resources one of the strikers said.
Postal workers repeatedly called on the local authorities to resolve this issue and most recently as Tuesday 5 June workers pleaded with officials at Kut Governorate, but they did not get a satisfactory result.
Officials at the governorate of Kut offered postal workers one month's salary instead of 4, but strikers reject this unjust proposal and demanded to be paid in full.
A similar strike was organized last Monday.
The resumption of the pumping of oil from Basra
Wednesday, 6 June 2007
Pumping of oil to the central and northern regions of Iraq resumed Tuesday afternoon, with the crude black oil resumed pumping to export docks.
The process of pumping oil resumed at six pm Tuesday afternoon via pipeline carrier known as 14.
The strikers suspended their strike until next Monday, and if their demands were not met the strike will resume again strikers.
Agreement has been reached between strikers and the Chairman of the security emergency in Basra to the suspension of the strike
Media and civil organizations suspended its activities in protest at the assassination of journalist in Maysan Provence.
Iraq- Maysan, Moday 04 / 06 / 2007
Media institutions and civil society organizations suspended their activities in the province of Maysan on Monday, for the second consecutive day in protest against the assassination of journalist Nizar Abdul Wahid.
The Deputy governor of Maysan provice said that "the suspension of the work of civil society organizations is a protest against the targeting of journalists, which claimed the live of fellow journalist Nizar Abdul Wahid.
The Journalists Union in Maysan announced suspension of work for a week in condemnation of the assassination of fellow journalist Nizar Abdul Wahid. The Union added "journalists in Maysan will start a protest next Saturday 9 June 2007 in front of the governorate building to demand an investigation into the assassination and provide protection for journalists.
The Union said that a "memorial ceremony will be held on Wednesday 6 June 2007 for our martyr Nizar Abdul Wahid