Iraqi oil workers appeal for solidarity as strike against privatisation looms
Iraq’s largest oilworkers’ trade union plans to go on strike on 10th May, in protest at the controversial oil law currently being considered by the Iraqi parliament. The move threatens to stop all exports from the oil-rich country.
Hassan Jum’a Awwad, President of the Federation of Oil Unions has appealed for solidarity from the international labour movement: "The federation calls on all unions in the world to support our demands and to put pressure on governments and the oil companies not to enter the Iraqi oil fields."
Sinister threats have been directed at the Federation and its members. Hassan Jum’a Awwad, the Federation’s President said: "As soon as the Federation called for the strike, many of our members and officials were physically threatened …with the aim of thwarting the strike and undermining the message of the strike organisers." Sources in Basra have said that death threats have been made against union leaders.
The oil law proposes giving multinational companies the primary role in developing Iraq’s huge untapped oilfields, under contracts lasting up to 30 years. Oil production in Iraq, like in most of the Middle East, has been in the public sector since the 1970s.
The Union, representing 26,000 oil workers, has held three previous strikes since 2003, each time stopping exports, for up to two days at a time. The announcement of the strike has spurred negotiations with the Ministry of Oil, which are ongoing.
Imad Abdul-Hussain, Federation Deputy Chair of the IFOU said: "The central government must be in total ownership and complete control of production and the export of oil". He warned against the controversial Production Sharing Agreements favoured by foreign companies, saying other forms of co-operation with foreign companies would be acceptable but not the level of control and profiteering indicated in the current Oil Law.
Federation President Hassan Jum’a said: ‘The oil law does not represent the aspirations of the Iraqi people. It will let the foreign oil companies into the oil sector and enact privatisation under so called production sharing agreements. The federation calls for not passing the oil law, because it does not serve the interests of the Iraqi people."
The Union is not alone in its’ condemnation of the current oil law. Opponents of the law also include all of Iraq’s other trade unions, a number of political parties, and a group of over 60 senior Iraqi oil experts.

What you can do:
• Rush messages of support to the Federation of Oil Unions – email info[at]basraoilunion[dot]org
• Join the demonstration called by Hands Off Iraqi Oil at Shell’s AGM Tuesday 15 May 2007, 8.30am - 12 noon, Novotel London-West Hotel and Convention Centre, 1 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London W6 8DR, (Nearest tube - Hammersmith)
Contact: Ewa Jasiewicz, Naftana, UK Support Group for the IFOU and Hands Off Iraqi Oil Campaign 0044 7749 421 576 freelance[at]mailworks[dot]org
www.handsoffiraqioil.org

Background
The IFOU is an independent trade union representing workers across 4 southern provinces in Iraq: Misan, Dhi Qar, Basra and Mauthanna in nine oil and gas related companies.
The Union has been organizing since April 2003 and has stopped oil exports and production over wages and workers rights in the past. It has also held protests against oil smuggling, former regime bosses and what the union sees as the deliberate neglect and degradation of the industry in order to justify private investment.
Union members have carried out reconstruction work on drilling rigs, port equipment, pipelines and refineries since the invasion with minimal, mostly local resources.
The Union is not linked to any political party in Iraq but has members which belong to various parties.
The Union enjoys the support of trade unions and civil society organizations around the world including the International Confederation of Energy, Mining and General Workers Union (ICEM), the AFL-CIO in the US, and the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) in the UK including the NUJ and TGWU. The union is partnered with UK development charity War on Want, the 3 million strong US Labor Against War in the USA, and Italian NGO Un Ponte Per.