Iraq Conscientious Objector speaks out on labor rights at Labor Anti-War rally

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/27/18583921.php

by Rubble
Friday Mar 27th, 2009 10:17 PM

U.S. Labor Against the War held a rally at the Embarcadero Saturday, March 21st, concurrent with the larger anti-war rally held in San Francisco. A sizable labor contingent marched together up Market Street to Civic Center in the rally. The event was part of a worldwide day of action on the 6th anniversary of the Iraq invasion and occupation. Besides continuing recognition of the need to stop this and other wars in order to preserve our domestic standard of living, unionists need to organize more than ever due to deteriorating domestic conditions. The economic downturn is resulting in draconian cuts to unionized public sector human services, while also serving as a phony pretext to attack and restucture labor rights and working conditions in both the public and private sectors. The speaker highlights the need for a broad expansion of labor rights in the U.S., including for military personnel and veterans. (2:45)

Audio at link.

U.S. Labor Against the War Labor Delegation to Iraq

U.S. Labor Against the War - a network of 186 local, regional, state, and national labor organizations representing more than 5 million union members - sent a delegation of six to the first International Labor Conference ever held in Iraq, March 13-14, 2009. At the Conference, three of the country’s major labor organizations announced the formation of a new labor confederation.

Hassan Juma’a Awad, President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Union - speaking for his 25,000 members - condemned U.S. efforts to privatize Iraq’s oil industry through production sharing agreements that could cede control over Iraq’s oil to foreign corporations for as long as a generation. The conference adopted a resolution that described the U.S.-promoted draft oil and gas law as “hostile to the interests of the working class and consequently all Iraqis”

Two other resolutions are of note. One called for the immediate enactment of a basic labor law that complies with International Labor Organization standards for the protection of the rights of workers to organize, collectively bargain, and strike in unions of their choosing, free of government interference. The U.S. Occupation Authority and Iraqi government continue to enforce Saddam Hussein’s anti-union labor law that bans unions for all public workers and employees of public enterprises, including its oil industry. This law remains in spite of the fact that the U.S.-led leadership has overturned virtually all Hussein era laws.