Iraqi Labor Unions Call For Election Boycott!

[Itsthetruth]

Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq-FWCUI
December 26, 2005

Statement of Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq on: the upcoming election in Iraq.

The Iraqi authorities backed by the occupation forces in Iraq declared January 30, 2005 a date to hold the elections in Iraq, insisting that these elections would be the fist elections in over half a century.

Holding election is one of the basic rights of people to elect their representatives. Nevertheless, election is to choose among different alternatives, therefore people participating in election should be well informed about all alternatives and familiar with their political programmes and perspectives. This has not happened in Iraq. Moreover many territories in Iraq are under the control of various militias, which prevent their political opponents from practicing any apolitical activity. This means that people are unable to know the agenda and political programmes of each party. Above all, most of the political parties and organizations involved in this election have not presented any agendas or programmes but some slogans and promises only.

On the other hand, the lists of candidates submitted by various political forces are based on dividing the population on basis of language, religion, sect and ethnicity and thus the sectarian, ethnic and linguistic differences are to be incorporated in constitution and become part of human beings’ identity. Thus, the Iraqi society is pushed toward ever deepening religious and ethnic divisions.

Most important is the fact that this election is to take place in a country where there is no constitutional and legal system and the assembly, which would be elected, is to enact the constitution. This means that the constitution will be determined according to current balance of power based on chaos, lack of security, occupation and absence of civility.

The mass of people are marginalized in the whole political process in the society and therefore workers have no political forces which directly represent them in this election independent of the forces which divide workers under the name of sect and ethnicity.

Workers in Iraq should gather around their own objectives and perspectives and not participate in an election where they have no representative but forces, which pose as defenders of masses of people and use the deprivation of people to achieve objectives and goals completely irrelevant to the objectives of people.

Let’s stand in the forefront of the civil resistance to end the occupation in Iraq and impose the willpower of the Iraqi people to elect their real representatives outside the political equation dictated by occupation and pro- occupation forces.

The objectives of workers will only be achieved by the progressive movement of workers who stand in the forefront of the protest movement of the civility, freedom and equality-seeking masses of people in Iraq.

Long live workers’ willpower




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Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq-FWCUI

FWCUI is a federation of a network of independent unions established by workers in the heart of their protests and their motivation to defend and achieve their fair demands for a better living condition, for a progressive labour law, for democratic rights of workers in Iraq. FWCUI has led many protest actions of workers in different industries and companies, confronted administrations, employers, Iraqi and US authorities to achieve the demands of workers. FWCUI is an important organisation of the progressive civil front against the occupation in Iraq and demands immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all occupying forces from Iraq. It attempts to rebuild Iraqi civil society and is opposed to the terrorism of political Islamic groups and loyalists of the Ba’ath regime.

Now FWCUI attempts to strengthen the united leadership of labour unions in different parts of Iraq, to organise the working class in Iraq in a new model of unions and councils established by workers themselves in their general meetings, representing the workers’ will and demands at different levels. The last victory of FWCUI was the conclusion of a successful workers broad conference in Basra in November 2004 with the participation of more than 350 delegates and groups from many industries and companies. FWCUI until now has led dozens of protests in Iraq and is now engaged in leading waves of protest of workers in the electricity, textile and oil sectors in Nassiriya, Basra, Kerkuk, Baghdad and Kut.

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FWCUI has a very interesting website, in several languages, you can visit to find out more about the Iraqi trade union movement and their activities.

http://www.uuiraq.org/

[Itsthetruth]

1. Please Circulate This To Union Members

I'm bumping this up because many trade union members and supporters probably didn't see this and I have a suggestion on what can be done with this statement by Iraqi labor unions.

Trade union members and supporters on DU could make copies of this statement and circulate them to friends and co-workers who are union members. In worksites with "open" union bulletin boards they could be posted.

I have to admit I was disappointed with the lack of response to what I think is an important development within Iraq, the rebuilding of a labor movement that was crushed under Sadam's regime and its opposition to the U.S occupation of their nation.