http://www.commondreams.org/news2007/0606-07.htm
> Common Dreams > June 6, 2007 > > Iraq Government Orders Arrest of Oil Workers' Leaders > > WASHINGTON > > Iraq's powerful oil workers' trade union today > expressed alarm as an arrest warrant was issued for its > leaders, in an attempt to clamp down on industrial > action. > > Members of the union have been on strike since Monday > 4th June, in protest at the government's failure to > meet any of its promises made in a meeting with Prime > Minister Nouri al-Maliki on 16th May. The union's 16 > demands included improvements to wages, health and > other working and living conditions as well as > consultation on the proposed oil law, which the union > opposes. The union added a 17th demand yesterday > demanding the sacking of the General Manager of the > Southern Pipeline Company. > > On Tuesday, al-Maliki warned that he would meet threats > to oil production 'with an iron fist'. > > The arrest warrant, based on a charge of 'sabotaging > the economy' specifically names Hassan Juma'a Awad, the > leader of the 26,000-strong Federation of Oil Unions, > and three other leaders of the Federation. > > Hassan Juma'a commented, 'the government is > intimidating the union but we are determined to gain > our legitimate rights.' He added that the strike would > continue in accordance with the union's plan. > > The strike entered its third day today and is in its > 'second phase,' which now includes the closure of the > main distribution pipelines, including supplies to > Baghdad. 'Phase one' closed some of the smaller > distribution pipelines. Phases one and two did not > include production and exports. > > The union is calling on all its supporters and unions > across the world to back the union at this critical > juncture. Sami Ramadani from the union's UK-based > support committee, Naftana said: 'Issuing a warrant for > the arrest of the oil workers' leaders is an outrageous > attack on trade union and democratic freedoms.' > > Naftana is an independent UK-based committee supporting > democratic trade unionism in Iraq. It works in > solidarity with the IFOU. It strives to publicize the > union's struggle for Iraqi social and economic rights > and its stand against the privatisation of Iraqi oil > demanded by the occupying powers. For more information > see the IFOU's website www.basraoilunion.org > ________ -- "I must fight with all my strength so that the little positive things that my health allows me to do might be pointed toward helping the revolution. The only real reason for living." -Frida Kahlo emma rosenthal is a disabled artist, writer, educator, reiki practitioner, activist and consultant, living in southern california. emma rosenthal po box 26382 los angeles, ca 90026 [EMAIL PROTECTED] 818-404-5784 emma's web page: http://home.earthlink.net/~emmarosenthal http://home.earthlink.net/~cafeintifada http://home.earthlink.net/~theweproject emma.s blogs: In Bed With Frida Kahlo: Daily indignities, small insurrections and honest musings from a life of infirmity and rebellion http://inbedwithfridakahlo.blogsource.com/ Emma Rosenthal: A blog of political essays, letters and news. http://emmarosenthal.blogsource.com/ http://cafeintifada.blogsource.com/ Uniting Art with Critical Consciousness http://cafeintifadafilms.blogsource.com/ Film reviews: A resource for activists and educators [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/[EMAIL PROTECTED]> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
