Issues Joint Statement with British TUC, Writes to Sec. of State Rice

The AFL-CIO has called on the Iraqi Government to immediately stop using the threat of force to intimidate workers in Basra oil fields. The American labor federation issued a joint statement with the British Trade Union Congress today calling on Iraq to “pull back its security and military forces and cease its menacing threats to arrest and attack these workers immediately.” In addition, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney wrote a letter to Secretary of State Rice urging her to use diplomatic channels “to convey to the Iraqi government that military intervention is not the way to resolve this dispute.”

 A strike of oil workers began on Monday, June 4 and on Tuesday these workers were surrounded and threatened by Iraqi armed forces while attempting to exercise their legitimate right to strike. These pipeline workers belong to the 26,000 member Iraqi Federation of Oil Workers (IFOU).

The strike was called after months of discussions between the union and the government over wages, health and safety, the use of temporary workers and the future of Iraq’s oil industry failed to produce a negotiated settlement. The strike Tuesday temporarily suspended delivery of oil products to Baghdad and the southern Governates of Iraq. As of Tuesday night, workers had returned temporarily to work after receiving a promise of further talks, but the troops remain in place.

The AFL-CIO joins the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and other global unions in urging the Iraqi Government to negotiate with the oil workers.

 (The joint statement with TUC and letter to Rice are available upon request.)

Contact:  Caren Benjamin (202) 637-5018