Keith Sonnet pointed out that TUC and the GUFs had a key role in coordination and that an essential part of this conference was about bringing together a broad spectrum of unions in Iraq. Since the 502d Military Intelligence Company detached from Wolfpack they have been with RHHT and have been continuously conducting collection missions. inviting Iraqi trade unionists to address union meetings/meet union activists; attending international events at which Iraqi trade unionists are present; developing twinning arrangements (Unison and others have produced guides on this) between union structures at sectoral, regional and local level (and even branches/workplaces in some cases) as well as at national level; visits to Iraq (although in many cases these will be difficult until the security situation improves); and. US MRAP on FOB Union III, Baghdad, Iraq during a dust storm. It is still fighting against poverty, unemployment, exclusion, reduced social protection and diminished sovereignty and respect for human rights. In the afternoon workshops you will find out what trade unionists from Britain and around the world are doing, and then discuss among yourselves what more you can do. What unions are doing and what more can we do? The 2-82 FA deployed from Fort Hood, TX on 15 March 2004. We have secure and reliable money transfer locations all over the world. In terms of practical needs, we need training and mechanisms to be able to exchange experience, to provide us with the foundations to develop unions. Maybe this would be better not TUC-led, for greater flexibility. But the tall concrete walls and barbed wire that have closed off the Green Zone for years are finally coming down. Oil imports represented €13,0 billion, up to 99.6% of all EU imports from Iraq. US officials are rarely visible outside it, and rules for British personnel bar them from leaving it unless accompanied by four bodyguards and an armored vehicle. The Oil Workers Union was formed in 2003 with the double purpose to organise relations between workers and managers and to look at the longer term economic interests of the Iraqi people. The International Zone (formerly known as the Green Zone) was the heavily guarded diplomatic/government area of closed-off streets in central Baghdad where US occupation authorities live and work. Civil servants were banned from joining a trade union. The Iraqi trade union movement, with the support of the international trade union movement, has an opportunity to use the clear international consensus to promote the active participation of Iraqi workers in shaping a free and united Iraq. The facility has a seating capacity of 500 with a turnaround capacity to serve 2,000 personnel for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Loading EEAS Press Releases... Twitter . Workshops held just last week [February 2005] covered topics related to fundamental trade unions rights and organisation. Here they are making use of framework agreements including two with multi-national enterprises heavily involved in Iraq (ENI/AGIP and Luc Oil Sic), to insist that all ILO standards must be applied. Not Now. Iraq and the European Union signed, today, Sunday, a new agreement and the extension of two other agreements, within the framework of joint cooperation between the two parties. The area houses the civilian ruling authority run by the Americans and British and the offices of major US consulting companies. They feel that it was vital to provide support in the form of equipment and they have already sent £4000 worth of fire-fighters’ kits and are organising another container for Kurdistan. Iraqi representatives consisted of: A subsequent fact finding mission to Iraq in February 2004 explored realistic possibilities for collaboration with Iraqi trade unions and raised concerns about the reconstruction process with officials of the Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraq’s Governing Council. TUC's plan outlines a new short-time working scheme designed to prevent mass unemployment and to help firms bounce back after the crisis, Report: A new jobs protection and upskilling plan, The TUC produces a wide range of research and analysis reports. In particular, it was identified that: An additional limiting factor was the lack of materials from the ICFTU/GUFs in Arabic. As well as the Iraqis, the conference will be addressed by Harry Barnes MP who set up Labour Friends of Iraq and did his national service in Basra, and the event will be chaired by TUC General Councillor and teachers’ union leader Sue Rogers who grew up in Kirkuk. The conference area and outside courtyard were reported to be nice. After 165 days in Camp Steel Dragon the Warriors had accomplished more than 561 Platoon Security Escort Missions encompassing more than 142,296 miles of driving throughout Baghdad and other locations within Iraq! This is dangerous work, in a time of transition. The most difficult problem could simply be who is there to talk to? SAIC has a contingent opportunities for Senior Network Admin/Site Leads to support an Army customer in Iraq. In reply, it was said that it was ultimately Iraqis who must choose - the TUC could choose to deal with only one union if it wished, but it should be aware that there are more. Donations/week. The burning issue was to help the Iraqi trade union movement to organise and that whatever federation ultimately 'triumphed' was a matter for Iraqi workers. Rail services and other mass public transit are often not an option, meaning that unions need vehicles and petrol and maintenance; organisers’ salaries - obviously it would be preferable for unions in Iraq to raise their own funds for expenditure like this, to avoid becoming dependent, but we need to recognise that the movement needs rebuilding, and a certain amount of pump priming would be valuable; communication technology - mobile phones, fax machines, computers (laptop and desktop, including for membership records), modems and so on; and. FOB Steel Dragon was in the "Green Zone" section of Baghdad. Due to the numerous Iraqi Interim Government entities occupying space within the Zone, traffic and population has increased. One needs to go to Iraq to actually see what is happening. Theoretically journalists are now free to criticise the current authorities, the US military and Iraqi Government, but there is no guarantee of this freedom as it could be withdrawn at any time as this right is not protected by law. Required Trophies. It is also possible for the TUC and unions to solicit donations from donor bodies such as government and charities. Rank. The Convention Center was where the United States set up headquarters, and was also home to the coalition press office. There were a number of interventions from union officials asking how they could get involved and in some cases pointing out it was difficult to know what Iraqi unions they could twin with and help support. The International Zone was also home to Saddam's man-eating lions, which have since been moved to the Iraqi National Zoo. Part of the International Zone was said to have been "Uday's Playground" comprised of the Presidential Palace (now the U.S. Embassy Annex); numerous villas for Saddam's family, friends and former Baath party loyalists; an underground bunker (Believers Palace); the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Military History Museum; the new Baath party headquarters (unfinished); the Al-Rasheed Hotel; the Convention Center; and a large park including the much photographed crossed sabers and parade route. Soldiers run the stores, pick up merchandise and manage the money. Eight Iraqi trade unionists addressed the conference and led the first three workshops; they described the current situation in Iraq and called for solidarity and support from British trade unions to rebuild the Iraqi trade union movement. They expected the installation of Air Conditioners by late June 2004, and were working on new phone banks on FOB Trojan. In Baghdad, for example, home to the headquarters of the 2nd Armored Cavalry Division, soldiers enjoy nightly movies in the world-class movie theater Saddam built for his secret police. document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(script); The main conclusion of the conference was that Iraqi and Kurdish trade unionists need our support and our help - and our money! In a ceremony on 15 December 2011, the colors of US Forces-Iraq were formally cased, They now have a small PX, and air conditioning in most rooms, including an air-conditioned movie theatre where they play DVD movies mostly every evening. Please create an account, or Login to use your service. Conclusions and future activity: Sue Rogers, Keith Sonnet and Owen Tudor, TUC. the lack of financial and technological capacity. The Kurdish trade unionists pointed out that support programmes were needed to benefit the whole of civil society, not just the trade union movement. 12 The issues where training would seem most appropriate are: union leadership and union-building, recruitment (and organising broadly), promotion of women in the union, collective bargaining and dealing with labour laws. al-Faw Palace, part of the Victory Base Complex, headquarters of the United States Forces - Iraq in Baghdad As Operation Iraqi freedom progressed through its seventh month, the U.S. Army worked toward improving living conditions for the troops in Iraq. Are you a union rep looking for help and advice to support your colleagues at work? the working week was defined as 48 hours based on an Iraqi labour code which went back to 1936 - they suggested that 35 hours would be more reasonable. whether the call for the immediate withdrawal of troops was consistent with the desire to improve the lot of Iraqis in general and help to support a free and democratic trade union movement in Iraq; and, that worthy as it was to support the trade union movement, several British delegates thought that the more burning needs of the Iraqi people were for the basics of life such as clean water, electricity and medicine. Get Directions +46 8 500 011 22. www.ibmu.se. The main question facing all Iraqi unions is whether they are for or against privatisation. By late January 2004 engineers from the 1st Armored Division were midway through an $800 million project to build half a dozen camps for the incoming 1st Cavalry Division. Many in the anti-war movement use the confusion about what is happening in Iraq to not get involved with reconstruction. We welcome the initiative taken by the TUC to organise an Iraq Solidarity Committee and we are pleased to participate as observers. There were representatives of the Kurdish trade unions, sectoral unions in journalism, oil and teaching, and rival national confederations from Iraq. They are interested in the possibility of twinning branches with particular connections, for example the north London branches where there is a high Kurdish population with those in Kurdistan or civil service branches with civil service branches in Iraq. Hassan Jawad stressed the importance of assistance reaching all - the railway union in Baghdad had received support but not in Basra. Hangaw Abdulla Khan - President of Kurdish Union Federation, Zuhair lal-Jazairy - Journalists’ Union and Editor of Al Mahda newspaper, Falah Alwan - President of the Federation of Workers’ Councils and Unions of Iraq, Jabar Faris - General Federation of Iraqi Trade Unions, Hassan Jumaa al Jawad - President of the Basra Oil Workers Union, Ghasib Hassan - President of the Railway and Aviation Union (IFTU). Based on the views expressed by the Iraqi trade unionists at the conference (and in the many other for a where their views have been heard) and the responses of the British trade unionists present, the TUC Iraq Solidarity Committee is drawing up an ambitious work programme for the next eighteen months (a rough draft was circulated to conference participants and is reproduced at the end of this report). They have since provided the IFTU with computers and financial support. … Credit card donations can be made through the TUC website and will attract tax rebates. The movement supported pluralism so people were free to join any trade union. They also recently received beds for all soldiers on the FOB and have wall lockers coming in. a Governing Council built on ethnic, national, religious divisions; conflicts between the militias and absence of security; intervention by the current administration and exclusion of some workers’ organisations; influence of political groups (eg the Kurdish Nationalist Party) and imposition of unions on workers at oil processing companies; unemployed workers obliged to accept any conditions imposed including membership of a specified political group. All the Federation’s revenue is generated from membership fees. The UK Government is a key donor to the UN Mine Action Service’s demining efforts in Iraq, having provided £15.7million since 2018. We have been tasked to provide artillery support to Camp Cook in Taji, Iraq. Camp Taji, Iraq – also referred to as Camp Cooke among its inhabitants – is one of the military bases located in the immediate proximity of Baghdad – only 30 km far from it. But they are a new generation, with a different culture. It was situated near the Al-Rasheed Hotel. 3-2020 Call for Contributions for the European Union Advisory Mission in support of Security Sector Reform to Iraq (EUAM Iraq) - Deadline for applications has been extended until 11 January 2020. Find a Western Union location near you and access our services wherever you are. It was damaged during the first Gulf War, but was never repaired by the former regime. PACIFIC ARCHTECTS AND ENGINEERS(FOB UNION 3 IRAQ) KENYA INSTIUTE OF HIGHWAYS AND BUILDING TECHNOLOGY. Members. US MRAP on FOB Union III, Baghdad, Iraq during a dust storm. Use Western Union® España para enviar dinero al extranjero, en línea o en persona, a amigos y familiares. The Federation formed openly and was able to operate without interference. They were exiled in 3 waves, firstly during the Ba’athification of Iraq, later during Iran-Iraq War and finally during the UN Sanctions. Most of the soldiers now have beds and mattresses. But it was decided that a plurality of trade unions in the present political situation would preserve independence from government; we decided that working by sectors, independent of the hierarchy of the various federations, would actually enhance cohesion; and. Eight Iraqi trade unionists will speak at a TUC conference in London today (Monday) calling for solidarity from British trade unions to rebuild the Iraqi trade union movement. Through its partners, the EU continues to deliver lifesaving assistance such as healthcare, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as protection. In November 2004, as part of an Army-wide effort to give its facilities around Baghdad friendlier connotations, and try to resolve the issue of constantly-changing facility names, Camp Steel Dragon was renamed Camp Honor. Rules FAQs Contact. This will give us the opportunity to closely follow all initiatives and coordinate common actions. Get the forecast for today, tonight & tomorrow's weather for Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. But clearly there is a need for materials which will help unions to function, such as: 9 It would be very useful to be able to develop a shopping list of all these materials with prices, so that it is easier to solicit donations and sponsorship (people like to know what their solidarity money will buy), develop funding applications and so on. The conference will be attended by all the major British trade unions, and by the global unions covering oil workers and transport workers. Check point 2/FOB Union 3 - Baghdad on the map. There was also a real concern that confusion over who to support would lead to nothing being done. The 14th of July Bridge reopened for the first time since the fall of Saddam's regime after a ribbon-cutting ceremony held 25 October 2003. The following British Union and Global Union Federation speakers make presentations: The Solidarity Center described how over the last three months, they have been issuing questionnaires to Iraqi trade unionists asking questions in the following areas: However findings have not yet been analysed and the plan is that dependent upon the finding a programme of support would be provided for Iraq. Iraq 109 connections. The elections present the beginnings of real possibilities for change with, in relation to the foreign troops, Iraq and its Parliament defining what they want. Each workshop will have at least two Iraqi or Kurdish trade unionists, and we hope you will have the chance to ask them questions and find out a lot more about the situation in Iraq. Baghdad 's first suspension bridge links the Karkh and Karadah districts on the north and south side of Baghdad. assistance for reconstruction: trade union buildings are still shells; in addition to buildings, equipment and furniture are needed, especially computers, cars and faxes; the reconstruction of buildings is paramount in getting unions back on their feet; sponsorship by the British government for trade unionists to take higher degrees; sponsorship and assistance to create a cultural centre in Kurdistan; colleges and academics here to get involved in sponsorship; modern education courses, that can be web-based and available online; introduction of citizenship and human rights as subject areas in the core curriculum; and. Union fights deportation of NUJ member. This came […] Tags: Ahmed Mousa Jiyad, EU, European Union, Iraq-EU Energy Centre. The present government does not have experience of labour relations and there is currently no mechanism or structure to lobby government with. Lastly, unions and other bodies could be urged to sponsor specific activities or purchases. Join to Connect. Iraqi delegates emphasised the suffering and destruction the war and occupation had brought despite the welcome toppling of Saddam and the need for the occupying troops to leave Iraq. We will publish a final report including interventions and outcomes which will be disseminated via the electronic bulletin on Iraqi trade unions. Khan appealed to trade unionists in Britain to support the movement in Iraq Kurdistan. See more of Iraqi Businessmen Union on Facebook. There is a danger in trying to force everyone into a single trade union structure at this time. Iraq War, also called Second Persian Gulf War, (2003–11), conflict in Iraq that consisted of two phases. 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