Statement issued by the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW) on the move of the Ministry of Electricity against Electricity Workers Union.

The Ministry of Electricity recently moved to ban trade union activities and organization in its institutions and has asked its departments to coordinate with police to close down the offices and to take control of union assets, documents and computers according to the Ministerial Order No 22 244 on 07/20/2010.

Paragraph No 3 of the Ministerial Order says the ministry must “take immediate legal action,” and bring charges against those who “resort to the use or threat of violence aimed at damage to public properties under Articles (2 and 4) of the Terrorism Act No. (13) 2005″.

The arbitrary action taken by the Ministry of Electricity and the measures it used to close down the offices of the unions is unacceptable by the whole Iraqi trade union movement. Iraqi workers insist on the legitimate right of workers in the public sector that employ thousands of workers on permanent and temporary contracts

to join a trade union, as enshrined in the new Iraqi constitution. The GFIW is determined to defend workers interests and rights.

The harmful and demeaning practices exerted by some self-interested individuals claiming to be trade unionists that are using the GFIW name and operating freely at the sites of Ministry. The GFIW believes the Ministry has turned blind eye to this disruptive fact for so long and now instead of taking legal action against those individuals, it has unfortunately attacked the whole electricity workers union.

If the government was obliged to take action, it is not to close union’s offices in this very provocative way and threaten to punish union leaders under the terrorism act without legal justification, requesting the intervention of the police as if the Iraq has entered in a state of emergency. The Ministry has become the judge and jury.

This is inacceptable to the GFIW. The GFIW insists on adherence to democratic values and practices and refuse all forms of threats, intimidation and violence. The GFIW never used threats or violence aimed at damage to public property. Iraqi workers, including public sector workers have a proud and glorious history of struggle in defending and building our home, Iraq. The GFIW will never hesitate to use all peaceful methods guaranteed by our democratic constitution to stand up for the rights of workers to free and independent trade unions. The GFIW always said that public properties belong to all people of Iraq that must be protected for they are not the property of one person or one party and thus reject the linking Iraqi unions to terrorism.

The GFIW calls on the Ministry of Electricity to cancel its Ministerial Order and stop all its union procedures and decisions. And adopt a course of cooperation and coordination with the GFIW in a spirit of solidarity and responsibility in order that we all can contribute to resolve problems facing this national institution (electricity sector) that has suffered from various forms of financial and administrative corruption and sabotage in order to secure the supply of electricity to our people.

Executive Committee

GFIW

24 July 2010

Iraq’s union crackdown is a return to days of Saddam
Following the ban on trade unions in the electricity sector, it is time to mobilise support for Iraq’s once-proud labour movement. For more information please click here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/30/iraq-union-crackdown-return-to-saddam#history-link-box

Meanwhile, the litany of repressive policies gets longer. It is illegal to be a member of a trade union, just as it was under Saddam. Paul Bremer, the US envoy who ruled Iraq after the invasion, revived Saddam’s infamous “decree 150″ in 2004, effectively banning all public sector unions. Activists are now treated as if they were terrorists. Only last week troops and police raided the offices of workers’ unions across the country, following a government decree under the 2005 anti-terrorism act, to ban them and seize their assets. For more information read the whole article here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jul/28/too-late-blix-iraq-chilcot

By Kari Lydersen

Last week electricity union offices across Iraq were raided under a July 20 decree from the Minister of Oil and Electricity, Hussain al-Shahristani, which banned trade unions in the energy sector and threatened serious legal action against union activity. The decree includes these provisions: For more information please click here: http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6260/iraqi_electricity_union_offices_raided_under_draconian_anti-union_decr/

Global trade union and civil society outrage was heard loud and clear last week by the latest setback to reconstruction in Iraq. The Iraqi government, on 20 July, invoked a ministerial order to shut and seize all offices and property of electrical workers’ trade unions.  For more information please click here: http://www.icem.org/en/78-ICEM-InBrief/3919-Outrage-at-Iraq

By Ben Lando of Iraq Oil Report
Published July 26, 2010

BAGHDAD – Weeks after taking office, acting Electricity Minister Hussain al-Shahristani over the weekend ordered all union organizing be banned from ministry facilities, and rounded up documents and computers in Basra.

The move has been condemned by Iraqi unions and American and international labor groups as carrying on Saddam Hussein’s legal oppression of Iraqi workers’ rights. for more information please click here: http://www.iraqoilreport.com/energy/electricity/shahristani-clamps-down-on-electricity-unions-4857/

The ITUC strongly protest against the Ministerial Order, Issue 22 244, of the Iraqi Government. This Order clearly violates trade union rights.The ITUC strongly protest against the Ministerial Order, Issue 22 244, of the Iraqi Government. This Order clearly violates trade union rights. For more information please click here: http://www.ituc-csi.org/iraq-trade-unions-banned-in-the.html

Our country Iraq is going through a critical juncture as a consequence of a constitutional political vacuum, that’s had negative impact on the security situation, which unfortunately has lead to further deterioration of the security situation. Add to this is sever shortages in providing basic services (electricity, water, and clean environment to the people of Iraq.

The government of Iraq should pay attention to resolving the above issues in open and transparent manner, uniting Iraqis to work together to end the presences of foreign soldiers and hence claim full national sovereignty;  work to provide real solutions to address the financial and administrative corruption that has spread at all level of State       departments.  

Instead of working to resolve the above mentioned problem our country is facing, the government of Iraq, and under the order of Hussain al-Shahristani / the acting Minister of Electricity has unfairly attacked viciously the electricity workers union issuing yet another  notorious ministerial order No 22 244 in 20/7/2010, instructing the security forces to shut down the unions’ offices across Iraq.

Our Union was and will remain always an eye that work for the rehabilitation and development of electricity sector for the sake of the interest of all Iraqis. The acting minister should focus his energy on providing real answers to the decline in electricity services instead of attacking our union that worked   to expose corruption in this sector and campaigned tirelessly help to find solution to the shortages in power supply.

The EWU while condemns the arbitrary unfair measures taken by the ministry against the Iraqi trade union movement, is violating the Iraqi constitution of Iraq which has provision that ensured workers  the rights to trade union formation. Millions of Iraqis crept to ratify the constitution against the onslaught of extremists. The EWU calls on federal government and the Acting Minister of electricity to withdraw this arbitrary notorious order. The union calls as well on the local governments across Iraq to stand with Iraqi unions against this unjust attack and to stop the closer of unions’ headquarters, the arrest of unions’ leaders and activists and to promote national unity instead.

Let’s work together for the unity of the trade union movement in order to achieve the hopes and aspirations of working people across Iraq, and raise high the banner of free and independent trade unions as is guaranteed by our Constitution.

 The electricity Workers Union in Basra

In one of the worst acts of union repression since the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi police raided and shut down trade unions across the electricity sector on Wednesday. For nore informationm please click here http://www.tuc.org.uk/international/tuc-18246-f0.cfm

http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=41516&SESSION=905