The following is from US Labour Against the War and is directed at the US government, but the online petition it asks us to sign is open to all, regardless of nationality.
Almost immediately after the fall of the dictatorship, a vibrant, independent, democratic and pluralistic trade union movement sprang forth. Soon after the invasion in 2003, the U.S. tossed out most of the repressive Saddam-era legal code. But there was one law it kept on the books and enthusiastically enforced – the 1987 law that Saddam Hussein imposed making it illegal for public sector and enterprise employees to join unions or negotiate the terms of their employment. The subsequent Iraqi Interim Governing Authority continued to enforce this undemocratic denial of worker rights.
The new Iraqi government imposed additional restrictions on worker and union rights. It seized union bank accounts and froze their assets. U.S. and Iraqi forces have raided and ransacked union offices and assaulted and detained union leaders. Management of public enterprises, including the oil industry, was directed not to recognize or bargain with unions.
But the Iraqi labor movement continues to grow despite harassment, beatings, kidnappings, detention, torture and even murder of trade union activists.
Sign the petition HERE.
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