Iraq

The Iraqi Oil minister, Hussein Al-Shahirstani, had ordered the transfer of 8 Oil Union activists.

They used to work at the Oil refineries in the south. This act represents the minister's anti-union policy, and lack of respect for Unions and Unions' activists in the Oil sector.

The International Longshore and Warehouse Union declared the day as "a day for union business" for workers at all 29 ports on the west coast. This may be the beginning of a record setting anti-war action, since the vast majority of supplies and munitions for the American government's current wars are shipped from the 29 ports on the West Coast. All 29 were closed today.

THE REVOLUTION BETRAYED

The following interview was first published in 'Workers Scud - no patriot can catch us!' (London, June 1991), a collection of articles reflecting on the Gulf War.

The Class Struggle in Iraq - an interview with a veteran
Q: Can you briefly tell us about the class struggle in Iraq before the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958?

THE KURDISH UPRISING

&

KURDISTAN'S NATIONALIST SHOP FRONT

AND ITS NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE BAATHIST/FASCIST REGIME

(Plus an account of the Workers Councils)

(Note: text is as in original pamphlet; a few pictures and accompanying captions have been removed)

Zapping the Zanj: Towards a History of the Zanj Slaves' Rebellion
Revised on: 16 October 2002. This is an ongoing investigation. Credible sources regarding the Zanj are hard to come by. Melancholic Troglodytes would appreciate any assistance from readers.

Mutinies, the word can seem excessive because Iraq is not (yet) Vietnam. However, a refusal to obey in the army, whatever the reason, is a mutiny and quite often such acts of insubordination have started with minor acts. Even isolated, such acts are indicative of "troop morale", an essential element for continuing war.

From issue no. 17 of the Wildcat (UK) journal.

Attached as a print-friendly pdf file below.

The ICEM reported that a sit-in by street vendors in the southern city of Nasiriya produced a compromise by authorities in negotiations. Street vendors are represented by the Union of Unemployed in Iraq (UUI), part of the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI).

The following report is from the General Federation of Workers in Iraq

On Tuesday 13 March 2007 Workers and Technicians at "Taza Plant 15K" outside Kirkuk conducted a day strike action calling on the local authorities to improve their security from extremist attacks which are killing many workers indiscriminately. The strikers also called on the management of the plant to increase their pay.

The strike was led by the General union of the tourism and hotels' workers, inside the building of Sheraton hotel - Baghdad.

The demands of the workers focused on paying the overdue salaries and arrear unpaid benefits of the holidays which amount up to 200.000 Iraqi Dinars (equivalent to 140 US$) in addition other arrears.

The plane had not landed at the usual passenger terminal but instead taxied to a cargo area where media access was barred. Deportees were then herded into a waiting bus while some were beaten. They were subsequently taken to a hotel controlled by the Asayish, where those with family members already in Erbil were eventually released.

Introduction

See our earlier report here.

In Kerbala, health workers held a sit-in protest after their strike last week. The workers held the strike calling for a raise in salary, a reform to the wage system, and to repay those eligible for infection allowance. The protest was organised by the workers' council of Kerbala hospital.

This pamphlet - a collection of articles - was prepared for the Zerowar conference which was held in Wollongong on the 8th of December 2002.

Collection of articles about Iraq, the Gulf War and class struggle in tidy PDF format.

1. On Sunday [Sept. 3], hundreds of health sector workers held a strike in Nasiriyah city, 370 Km south of Baghdad and in Umara city 370 Km South-east of Baghdad. They raised demands of higher average salaries and repayment of contagious disease compensation (similar to dangers of work benefit). This sector was frozen for periods after the occupation.