NASUWT bolsters Iraq fight for trade union freedom
Latest news from Iraq
Iraqi colleagues bring solidarity message to Annual Conference
Colleagues from the Iraq Teachers Union (ITU) have brought an appeal for continued solidarity and support to the NASUWT's Annual Conference 2012.
Mohsin Ali Nsaif, ITU President, was joined on stage in Birmingham by Ahmed Jassam and Abdullah Muhsin. Mr Nsaif has survived three assassination attempts by Government forces opposed to his trade union activities.
Mr Nsaif said: “A government democratically elected by the people is standing against the ITU but we want a true democracy. The government wants to control the ITU as it was under Saddam Hussein.
"We are standing here because we were elected. The government will not recognise this. The Iraqi government has frozen the central assets of the Iraqi teachers union and the council of ministers sacked me as the president as if I was an employee of the state.”
NASUWT continues to work closely with the ITU, particularly Mr Nsaif who expressed gratitude to the Union for its support. The NASUWT supports a training project for Iraqi teachers which has so far supported nearly 300 people to become active within their union.
Kurdistan Teachers Union
The Kurdistan Teachers Union KTU supports the rights
of all religious and ethnic communities in the region of
Kurdistan.
The KTU opened its 12th National Conference in Erbil. 579 delegates representing 12 regional KTU branches sung the national anthem before the national president of the KTU officially opened the conference welcoming delegates, government officials and representatives of political parties and guests. In his last speech to conference as KTU president before retiring, Mohammed Juja said that the union has achieved great success since 1991, both in strengthening the internal democracy of the union, and in fighting for the rights of teachers to a fair wage and better living conditions and in helping to guard the democratic gains the people of Kurdistan have achieved.
The KTU president then invited the Prime Minister of the Region of Kurdistan/Iraq to address Conference, the ministers of education and the ninister of higher Education and the International Representative of the GFIW and President of the ITU addressed conference. All brought messages of solidarity, wishing the conference success. At the end of the opening of the KTU National conference ceremony, the KTU retiring president was award a medal of honour for services he gave to the union and the people of the region of Kurdistan.
579 delegates representing 12 KTU branches across the region of Kurdistan/Iraq gathered in Media Hall to debate the struggle of the KTU since its 2007 unity conference. Conference debated as well the consolidation of the KTU internal democracy, its global trade unions relationships with sisters’ teachers’ organizations and in particular Education International and British teaching unions, like NASUWT. Delegates debated how best to strengthen the democratic gain the region secured since 1991.
Conference split into 6 committees. Each committee was tasked with one topic to debate and report to conference its finding and recommendations conference committees are (the legal, the education committee and internal rule committees recommendations and social security and the financial and administrative committees.
Conference agreed that the KTU shall consist of 12 branches.
Conference shall be held once in every 4 years.
Membership of the KTU shall be voluntary.
Conference agreed to increase membership fees from 750 Iraqi Dinar (ID) to 3000 ID
Conference elected a new leadership body consists of 15 members, with president. The new President of the KTU is Kamal Hamed. He was the former president of Erbil Branch of the KTU.
The leadership elected a joint presidency of two for four years. The joint presidency consists of the president and first vice president. Each leader shall hold office for two years.
On 6 October a general report on the work of the six committees was presented to conference and then a debate took place. The report is said to be weak for it did not take into account the views and concerns of all 12 KTIU branches.
Government crackdown on trade unions
Background
Victims of an unjustified invasion with little proper post-war planning in place, Iraq remains a country in crisis years after former dictator Saddam Hussein was executed.
Despite over a billion dollars being spent on education in the country, schools in Iraq face not only security problems, but often have no electricity or vital equipment such books, pens and pencils.
As the Chair of Iraq Solidarity, Sue Rogers, former National Treasurer for NASUWT, has been closely involved in working with the developing trade union movement in the country.
The Union has had links at National Conference for several years with colleagues from the Iraq Teachers’ Union and the Kurdistan Teachers’ Union attending, including spokesperson Abdullah Muhsin.
Mr Muhsin says: "Having the support of NASUWT is fundamental, we are delighted to have this comradeship and it is very important to our growth. The work the Union has done in highlighting the extreme difficulties we face and bringing it to the attention of the politicians is helping to save lives.”
Whilst working with these colleagues NASUWT has developed a wider plan for support and training which was turned into a bid to Education International for funding support.
In addition, the TUC is seeking support from the Department for International Development for financial support for a political programme to challenge the current legislation, Decree 8750, which has sequestrated trade union funds and Law 150 made under Saddam Hussein which forbids trade unions in the public sector. Without the removal of these, the position of any union is fragile.
Ms Rogers says: “The teachers have shown themselves to be strong and creative. In Kurdistan and in Northern Iraq a visit to a school by Ministry Officials found that in all schools the teachers walked out. It had the immediate impact of bringing a pay rise! NASUWT is proud to be working with such resourceful and strong trade unionists.”
Training Session
Trade union colleagues from Iraq attended NASUWT Headquarters in Rednal to help build their own capacity and boost their struggle against oppressive regimes.
The session was organised by NASUWT former National Treasurer Sue Rogers, staff and French union UNSA Education France. The delegation included colleagues from the Iraqi Teachers' Union and the Iraqi Kurdistan Teachers' Union.
Key objectives of the trip were to support teachers in Iraq and develop the "Education for All" agenda, particularly in the primary sector, and improve equality at all levels for women and girls.
The Iraqi Teachers' Union are intent on playing a key part in the reconstruction of civil society on which peace and democracy depend.
Video of the session can be found below.
