From the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions
By Hassan Jum'a Awad al-Asadi
To: The US Labor Movement
Subject: Solidarity
In the name of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions representing 26,000 workers and 10 unions in the oil sector . . .
It is with great sadness that we learn that workers in Education (teachers) and Health (nurses) are having their rights violated by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, in a country that is seen as democratic and as ‘a land of the free.’ Preventing these sectors of society from bargaining is a clear violation of democracy.
We believe that worker’s struggles all over the world are one struggle, and that these violations negatively affect relationships between workers throughout the globe. Therefore, we express our complete solidarity with our brothers in the US and strongly condemn Scott Walker’s actions that amount to attacks and the autocracy of a dictator.
The oil workers and their leaders in Iraq stand with and support the teachers and nurses and all the activists in the US labor movement against these violations of their rights. We also demand that the US government take all necessary steps to prevent these violations.
In solidarity,
President of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions
Hassan Jum’a Awad al-Asadi
copies to:
President Barrack Obama
Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
The Leadership of the AFL-CIO
The Worker Solidarity Center
US Labor Against the War
Translation by Ali Issa
Please note that in the print version of WIN Spring 2011 (page 18), the Arabic text was garbled during layout, making it illegible. WIN apologizes for the error.
