the name of God, the most beneficent, the most merciful

Dear brothers and sisters in South Oil Sector
واعتصموا بحبل الله جميعا ولا تفرقوا
Peace be upon you,
The southern preliterate in the south suffered decades of oppression and tyranny during the dictator regime of Saddam Hussein. The new bright age the Iraqis dreamed of to compensate them the years of oppression, deprivation and hunger didn't materialize in spite of the sacrifices they made, noting that your brothers in this important sector and all its companies took the responsibility of rebuilding and reviving the all production aspects of these destroyed companies. After the flagrant intervention of the foreign companies in the production process under the political and legal vacuum in Iraq, the sons of this sector confronted under the leadership of their unions these conspiracies and united to oust these foreign companies. At the same time, many of the officials in the Ministry and the companies used to connive at the economical occupation of our oil resources and wealth. Today, under a legitimate elected government, there are those who want to reopen the doors for these companies and their policies which entered with the occupier and under its protection. After the oil sector affiliates felt the danger of these companies dominance over the Iraqis wealth and resources under long-term agreements leading to a new economical occupation, they had no other choice but to democratically re-establish the Oil Union under by free documented elections. This Union played a very important role, locally and internationally where it took the responsibility of taking care of its member concerns and aspirations, to safeguard the oil wealth which is of the Iraqi people property, and to prevent the dominance of the foreign monopoly companies. The union held its first privatization conference during the period 25-26/5/2005 where it established the rules and basics that should be respected by the decision-makers and by all honest patriots. Such rules and basics state that the oil should remain under the control of the Iraqis because it means sovereignty. The rights and the demands of the sector affiliates represented the second priority for the union as the county witnesses a very difficult situations with no elected government. Now, after the elected government took over and after Dr. Hussein Al-Shahrastani took the responsibilities of running the Ministry of Oil, the union sent him a congratulation letter along with two letters to appoint a meeting with him. A third letter was handed to him by a union representative, but unfortunately, no reply received from him, while the union had fruitful meetings with the former ministries in increasing the production, solving all problems, overcoming obstacles and finding out and fixing the bugs an defects. Therefore, we would like to put before the Iraqi government officials, Ministry of Oil and our affiliates and members the hereunder demands that will not be bargained on:

1. We reject any agreement to invest in the oil with having a legal regulation on that and with having the union part of the agreement to avoid being trapped by the conspiracies in the World Bank Fund and the World Bank, otherwise, we will make any agreement a failure no matter what the cost be.
2. To get back the Iraqi National Oil Company which was cancelled for reasons known to all.
3. To activate the Iraqi Excavation and Tankers Company as it represents the national unity being one of the national economy support.

4. The necessity of forming oil council to the South oil companies.
5. Extend the authorities of the general managers and the oil companies and their branches in the governorates.
6. Unify the salaries and apply the allocations system of the oil sector.
7. Grant housing lands and houses to their inhabitants and approve the housing possession project system used to be applied in Basra Oil Company.
8. Fight the administrative and financial corruption in the oil sector and in all companies.
9. Grant the normal leaves of more than 180 days and to pay the profits of 2004 and 2005 for the subscribers and non-payment is unjustified.
10. To fair and just with the job ranks and salaries of the high limit grades of the long service employees.
11. Confirm the daily workers and contractual guards in the oil companies.
12. Recruit the oil institutions graduates.
13. Return all rights of the politicians who were exiled from Iraq for a long period of time who gave a lot to the country and fought the previous regimen by all means as those politicians didn't get their rights. I also ask to be fair with the children of martyrs from the oil sector.

The demands above represent the minimum of our union hops and aspiration to upgrade the oil industry and improve the standard of living for all affiliates and members, considering the Per-Capita Income in the neighboring countries, noting that the oil is in our land, exploited by us, and we face the risk of pollution and the environment pollution of our city.

In case these demands are not met, we will take all necessary actins and we will have a national attitude, and the Ministry of Oil officials, in particular, the ministry will be held responsible for all consequences.

Hassan Juma'h Awad Al-Asdi
President of the General Trade Union

Cc.:
· Prime Minister / for info with all respect.
· President of Lower House / for info with all respect.
· Minister of Oil / for info with all respect.
· President of Lower House / for info with all respect.
· Governor of Basra / for info with all respect.
· President of Basra Council/ for info with all respect.
· Deputies and Advisors.
· General Managers of Oil Companies.
· All parties and organizations.
· File.

Iraqi Government Freezes Union Bank Account

PRESS RELEASE from Naftana - UK Support Committee for the General Unionof Oil Employees Iraq

Tuesday July 20th 2006

OIL UNION BANK ACCOUNT FROZEN

IRAQI GOVERNMENT ATTACKS OPPONENTS OF OIL PRIVATISATION

We have just confirmed reports that the Iraqi regime has frozen all the bank accounts of the Iraqi oil workers' union, both abroad andwithin Iraq.Wave of anti-union activity by government The Iraqi regime's decision comes in the wake of a series of anti-union measures, including the disbanding of the council of the lawyers' union, freezing the writers' union accounts and the September 2005 decree making all trade union activity illegal.

For that anti-union act the regime used the pretext of promising the promulgation of a future law to 'regulate' trade union organisations and their activities.This action follows in the footsteps of US administrator Paul Bremer In 2004 Paul Bremer, the occupation's then pro-consul in Iraq, declared trade union activity in the state sector illegal.

That decision re-enacted Saddam Hussain's 1987 decree banning workers' unions in the state sector by declaring them to be 'civil servants' rather than 'workers'.Hamstringing opponents of oil rip-offIraq's enormous oil wealth is being groomed for Production Sharing Agreements, which would transfer effective control over all aspects of oil policy, production and marketing to multination oil companies.

The oil workers' union is one of the most effective opponents of this policy, organising an anti-privatisation conference last year and another one to come this year.

Naftana member Ewa Jasiewicz is prepared to deal with enquiries. You can call her on 07749 421576.

Notes for journalists

The GUOE organises over 23,000 oil and gas industry workers Naftana (Arabic: 'our oil') was set up by UK activists after contact with the GUOE. We are in regular contact with the leadership of the union.

In August 2003 the union halted oil exports for two days as a protest over low wages

The GUOE is independent of any political party or union federation.GUOE executive committee members, including its President, were part of the opposition against Saddam Hussein's dictatorship, and many were imprisoned by the regime.

The GUOE is opposed to the military occupation of Iraq and to the privatisation of the oil and industrial sectors of Iraq.

The GUOE is a successor to the Southern Oil Company Union (SOCU), set up immediately after the fall of the Saddam regime.In October 2003 union activists kicked US company KBR out of oil industry workplaces.

See the union's website www.basraoilunion.org for more details in bothArabic and English

Sign up to the Naftana email alerts system atnaftana-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

Readers please take note, Naftana is waiting for the Union to advise on any follow-up/solidarity action with respect to the above news.