U.S.-backed Iraqi government attacks oil workers union

[Union Thug]

Note: I didn't see an online version, so here goes:

Industrial Worker, July/August 2006, page 12:

U.S.-backed Iraqi government attacks oil workers union

The Iraqi regime has frozen all the bank accounts of the independent oil workers' union GUOE, both abroad and within Iraq. The action is part of a series of anti-union measures including the disbanding of the council of the lawyers' union, freezing the writers' union accounts and a September 2005 decree making all union activity illegal.

For that anti-union act the regime used the pretext of promising a future law to 'regulate' trade union organizations and their activities, and expanded former U.S. administrator Paul Bremer's decree outlawing union activity in the state sector.

Iraq's enormous oil wealth is being groomed for Production Sharing Agreements which would transfer effective control over all aspects of oil policy, production and marketing to multinational oil companies.

The oil workers' union is one of the most effective opponents of this policy, organizing an anti-privatization conference last year and another one to come this year.

[annabanana]

1. Geez.. a union!?

If these thugs wanted to deal with unions they wouldn't have bothered to invade Iraq in the first place...

These brave men (GUOE) are doing the most dangerous work in the world.

[pnorman]

2. Here's some related reading:

http://www.mltoday.com/Pages/Labor/Bacon-OilWorker.html
and
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/06/13/146243

pnorman

[annabanana]

3. kick. . .. .. .n/t