GUOE Shows Solidarity with the Lebanese People

Communique from the GUOE

We and all peaceful and free people of the world have been following with great attention the American and Zionist aggression against Lebanon for more than two weeks now. This is despite the sadness and pain that this compounds in our hearts as a result of the total destruction and the killing of innocent people, and the displacement and dispossession that our brothers in Lebanon are exposed to in these days. At the same time, we are proud of the wonderful steadfastness and resilience of the Lebanese people and the Islamic resistance confronting the Zionist barbaric aggression - achieving more and more victories against the Zionist occupation forces.

The most painful to the heart is the degrading positions adopted by Arab countries which have affirmed to all that they are agents of America and Israel.

This is in contradiction to the Iraqi people who forgot their injuries and killing due to the terrorist operations affecting them in addition to the occupation forces, so much so that they got out into the streets and demonstrated in solidarity with their brothers in Lebanon and collected contributions to support them .

We in the General Union of Oil Employees are painfully following this brutal aggression. We announce our protest against these criminal and barbaric actions that Zionist aggression has perpetrated against our brothers in Lebanon and at the same time we appeal to all the honorable and free people of the world to demonstrate and protest about what is happening to Lebanon. We also urge our people in Basra to help their brothers in Lebanon and support the brave Islamic resistance there.

We denounce the coward and degrading positions adopted by some Arab countries and we declare our solidarity with the Lebanese people and Islamic resistance and we are proudly greeting them and God with you.

Hassan Jumaa is in the UK

For Immediate Release
Monday July 3rd 2006


‘The Oil is Ours’ - Iraqi Oil Union President Visits UK


The leader of one of Iraq’s most powerful trade unions will arrive in Britain this Wednesday. Hassan Jumaa Awad al Assadi is the President of the General Union of Oil Employees (also known as the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions). The GUOE organises over 23,000 oil and gas workers across the south of Iraq.

The Union recently issued a statement to Iraq’s Prime Minister and Oil Minister demanding that the people of Iraq be democratically consulted about the future of Iraq’s oil.

New Oil Minister Hussein Al Shahrastani has stated that an energy law will be drafted within the next two months, and passed through parliament by the end of this year. The new law will decide the future of investment and development of Iraq’s oil and gas supplies. No public consultation or debate has been held regarding the new law.

The union has vowed to ensure the failure ‘no matter what the cost be’ of any promulgation of an energy law which promotes privatisation and foreign corporate control of Iraq’s oil sector. International oil companies, supported by the British government, have lobbied for long-term contracts to be signed which would give them control over Iraq’s oil for the first time in more than three decades. The US government – which also favours such contracts – has also increased its embassy’s efforts to influence the energy law. Oil was a key topic discussed during President Bush’s recent visit to Iraq.

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

Hassan Jumaa Awad will be speaking at the Marxism 2006 event in London on Thursday 6th and Sunday 9th July.

The Iraqi government recently froze the GUOE’s bank accounts in Iraq and Jordan.

Forthcoming Press Conference and Photocall details tba

Contact

Ewa Jasiewicz/Sabah Jawad, Naftana (Support Group for the GUOE) 07749 421 576 freelance@mailworks.org or 07946 334 238 sabah.jawad@idao.org

Greg Muttitt, Researcher with PLATFORM and Specialist in Iraqi Oil Policy and the UK Agenda 00962 7992 51257 (Jordan mobile until July 5th) 07970 589 611


Notes for Journalists

Hassan Jumaa is in the UK from July 5th -14th

He does not speak English but will be accompanied by a translator

The GUOE represents over 23,000 oil workers across four provinces in nine state oil and gas companies. It is independent of all trade union federations in Iraq.

Many of the Union’s activists fought against and were persecuted by, the Baath regime. Hassan himself was jailed three times by the regime.

The Union has organised strikes, export interruptions and protest actions over foreign corporate interference (Kellogg Brown and Root was expelled from workplaces by union activists in 2003), unpaid wages, slashed wages, deliberate degradation of industrial assets, oil smuggling and corruption.

The union has also reconstructed war-damaged drilling rigs, refineries, port equipment and pipelines.

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.

See www.basraoilunion.org for statements from the union