Tuesday, February 28, 2006

AND WE MISSED IT


The things you never hear about...Thanks to libcom.org news for the following.

Basra oil workers strike

Workers at the Oil Tranportation Company in Basra were on strike this week.

A translation of a statement released by the General Union of Oil Employees in Basra regarding strike action by workers at the Oil Transportation Company. More news and updates will follow shortly.


A one day strike took place on the 21/2/2006 organised by union members in the Oil Transport Company in Basra. The strike took place for the following reasons:

1- In Protest at the deliberate/targetted neglect of this company by the ministry of oil and the government.

2- To demand an improvement of workers’ living conditions

3- To demand that money owed to workers by the ministry of oil which be paid. This money should have been paid but has not, despite the continuous demands from the company and continuous unfulfilled promises by the ministry.

We are on strike today to send the message to the government that there are employees whose rights are being wasted/violated.

In a statement to the press, the President of the Union demands that the ministry meets its promises, and that structural changes be made within the company as we (the union) believe there are some executives that haven´t served the company right.

This sit-in will be the beginning of a long journey of struggle.

Long live the word of the Iraqi working class under a democratic, free union organization

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