Iraqi workers protest against the latest government interference29 June, 2012IndustriALL affiliates in Iraq were at the forefront of a major demonstration and picket on the morning of 25 June 2012 in Basra. Fresh from her election as an Executive Committee member of the new IndustriALL Global Union, Hashmeya Muhsin al-Saadawi, leader of the Electricity Utility Workers’ Union, was one of the leaders of the protest which also included the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions (IFOU), Federation of Workers Councils Unions of Iraq and other Basra based organizations. Protesters marched and chanted slogans denouncing the continued blatant government intervention into internal trade union affairs and the ban on trade union organization in the public sector.
Brave struggle of Iraqi energy unions inspires the movement30 October, 2014IndustriALL’s partner organization AFL-CIO Solidarity Center this month released an important report on the status of Freedom of Association in Iraq's electricity sector. The report finds that new trade unions in the electricity industry have been central to building new union structures and achieving significant gains for workers especially in the public sector.
Iraqi workers take to streets over unpaid wages9 December, 2014Thousands of Iraqi workers from state-owned companies have been taking to the streets across the country demanding to be paid. Workers want the Ministry of Industry to pay their salaries after going three months without wages.
Iraqi electricity workers fight precarious work11 April, 2018IndustriALL affiliate the General Trade Union of Electricity Sector Employees of Iraq (GTUESE) is fighting temporary work in the Iraqi electricity sector. They have staged a series of protests in front of government ministries and opened negotiations by meeting high level government officials.
Iraqi unions: “We want bread, not bullets”31 October, 2019IndustriALL Global Union joins its Iraqi affiliates in condemning the violence and repression by security forces against people joining demonstrations protesting corruption and unemployment. Millions of Iraqis suffer from poverty, with widespread unemployment, particularly among young people.
Young unionists in MENA discuss impacts of Covid-1912 April, 2021On 31 March, the MENA youth network met online for the first time since November 2019. 34 young leaders from Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia and Bahrain shared experiences of the impact of Covid-19 on young workers and union responses.
Union Victory! Basra Court finally drops charges against Hassan Juma’a2 July, 2013Acquittal for the Iraqi oil workers’ leader Hassan Juma’a was finally achieved on 1 July. The sham judicial process persecuting Hassan for organizing workers was defeated after four months of trade union campaigning supported by international solidarity.
Iraq: unions demand legal rights over ratification of ILO C874 November, 2016The adoption of a new labour law in Iraq last year has created more space for IndustriALL and its Iraqi affiliates to deepen the programme of work and campaign for legislation that meets international standards.
The long road towards ILO–compliant Labour and Trade Union Laws in Iraq14 November, 2013Erbil in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region of Northern Iraq was the venue for the latest discussions between unions and Iraqi parliamentarians and the Ministry of Labour regarding the ongoing struggle for acceptable Labour Laws in Iraq. The struggle continues!
IndustriALL Iraqi affiliates fighting for workers’ unpaid wages17 April, 2015The IndustriALL Global Union national council of trade unions in Iraq is leading the campaign for unpaid Iraqi workers of state-owned companies.
