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18 June, 2007
The demands of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU) that caused pipeline strikes near Basra during the week of 4 June were met, thus precluding further strike action that was to occur last week.
On 11 June, leaders of the IFOU met with Iraq’s Minister of State for Parliament Affairs, who directly represented Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Pledges that al-Maliki made to the union in mid-May were put into effect, including establishing a committee to deal with oil workers’ grievances. Those grievances, numbering 16, include salaries, work conditions, health and safety concerns, and a demand for consultation over the future of Iraq’s oil industry.
In a statement, IFOU President Hassan Jumaa Awad Alasady said, “Finally, the workers have won in demanding their legitimate rights. That is why an enlarged meeting was held with his Excellency, Minister of State for Parliament Affairs, lasting five hours (and) resulting in the cessation of all the failings resulting from the conduct of the Iraqi Oil Minister and (his) irresponsible stance.
“The activation of the committee formed by the Prime Minister to deal with the outstanding problems was affirmed. And after deliberations within our union, the two sides agreed to halt the strike and to use dialogue in dealings to resolve the outstanding issues.”
Basra-area pipeline workers, part of the 26,000-member IFOU, shut down oil pipelines leading to Baghdad on 4 June, and again on 5 June, over the decision by the country’s oil minister, Hussein Shahrastani, and the general manager of the pipeline company, Adel Aziz, to void Prime Minister al-Maliki’s pledge to IFOU.
The strike was suspended late on 5 June when Iraqi military forces surrounded the strikers. Also, IFOU learned that a number of union and strike leaders faced arrest warrants. The ICEM was on the front lines of this dispute, together with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the US Solidarity Center, and the UK’s Trades Union Congress, in drawing attention to the plight of strikers.
The ICEM is extremely grateful to its affiliates who quickly responded with messages of support to IFOU, a point that was also made by Comrade Hassan Jumaa Awad: “We extend our thanks to all, from across the world, who have campaigned and written to express solidarity with the oil workers and the IFOU.”