Wednesday 24 December 2014
Monday 22 December 2014
General Federation of Iraq Trade Unions (GFITU): Workers’ protests will continue
General Federation of Iraq Trade
Unions (GFITU):
Workers’ protests
will continue until their demands are achieved
Baghdad – “Tareeq
Al-Shaab”
(“People’s Path” – the daily
newspaper of the Iraqi Communist Party)
22 December 2014
The Economic Committee in
the Iraqi parliament has considered the government’s decision to pay a one
month salary to the workers and employees of the self-financing companies
of the Ministry of Industry as an ineffective measure, noting that the workers do not bear the government's mistakes. The Committee called for
an end to the problem of self-financing
and for converting these companies
to central funding.
Meanwhile, the General Federation
of Iraq Trade Unions (GFITU) stated that withholding workers'
salaries is illegal, stressing
that labor activists will
continue their protests and pressure
on the government to address
the salaries of this broad sector,
to pay all the workers’ entitlements
and to focus on the role of the national
industry.
In an interview with
"Tareeq Al-Shaab" yesterday, Nora Al-Bjarai,
member of the parliament’s Economic Committee,
said, "the employees have nothing to do with the mistakes of the government and they should get their salaries without cuts". She added that “there
is a clause in the
budget that provides for the Ministry
of Finance to pay the loans of the Ministry of Industry loans ..
to end this problem to be get the salaries paid by by the central government."
Tawfiq al-Kaabi,
a member of the parliament’s Services and Reconstruction Committee,
said that meetings have taken place with the Minister of Industry with regard to the workers
of self-financing companies, as well as with members of
the Services Committee and other committees “in order to
spare any citizen the non-payment of salaries."
Al-Kaabi said in
an interview with "Tareeq
Al-Shaab" yesterday that "there is a big response by the relevant authorities to resolve the
problem of these workers and
activate of their projects@. He noted that "the Services and Reconstruction Commission will press the government to activate these factories, such as the lone
manufacturing spiral pipes and other plants. The Iraqi
economy today is one-sided and needs the support of other
sectors such as industry through
the operation of these plants."
He added that "many of these
plants are ready and do not need a lot of effort to get
them running.. they only need a little support from the government". He
pointed out that "investment in these
plants will provide the economy and
the budget additional support in the coming years.
The vice-president of the
General Federation of Iraq Trade Unions (GFITU), Hadi Ali, said that "paying a one
month salary is not enough. The government
should have taken into account the fact that
these workers have families, and they need the monthly salary without delay because it is their right". He added that "paying
workers’ salaries in installments is not
right and non-payment is a violation of the law."
Hadi said in
an interview with "Tareeq
Al-Shaab" yesterday, that
"the General Federation of Iraq Unions (GFITU),
along with activists, will continue their campaign and pressure on the government until the issue of teh salaries of this broad sector is tackled".
He noted that "there is pressure
and lobbying by the unions and activists not only in Baghdad but
also in the provinces, that has
extended to the parliament and become
a popular demand for the payment of
all workers' entitlements,
as well as focusing on the role of
the national industry”.
He said that activating
this labor force will help to support the state budget. He added: “We don’t
rely on the promises given by
the government. We want them implemented on the ground”.
Wednesday 3 December 2014
Iraqi CP: The Central Committee holds its regular meeting
The Central Committee of the Iraqi Communist Party
holds its
regular meeting
The Central Committee of the
Iraqi Communist Party held its regular meeting on 14
November 2014. The meeting was
preceded by extensive preparations
that included party organizations
and specialized committees, a meeting
of the party’s Central Advisory Board, an
ideological seminar on political sectarianism, and a meeting of the
Central Committee of the Kurdistan Communist Party.
The meeting began with a
minute of silence in honor of the martyrs of the Iraqi
people and victims of terrorism and violence, and the party members and supporters
who passed away in recent months.
The participants also commemorated the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom
of the Iraqi communist leader Comrade
Wadhah Abdul Amir (Sa’doun), and paid tribute to his struggle
and fidelity to
the Party, the people and the homeland.
The participants considered
a number of reports on the performance of the party and its leadership, and the performance of specialized committees and party organizations all over the country
and abroad.
The meeting gave exceptional attention to improving leadership work on all levels,
expanding the party's interaction
with the masses and its impact in this field, striving to build effective party organizations
that are fully aware of the daily concerns of people and defend their interests, rights and aspirations. Decisions and recommendations were adopted in these matters.
The meeting discussed the political developments in the country
since the previous meeting of the
Central Committee in May 2014,
and pointed out that this period was characterised
by big events that left their
mark on the political scene. Among
these developments was the invasion by the terrorist Islamic
State organisation (Isis) of the
city of Mosul, followed by its criminal gangs
extending to other provinces and cities,
as well as the process of the formation
of the new government in the aftermath of parliamentary
elections. The latter resulted in a parliament whose composition did not reflect the demand for change raised by the masses and the civil and democratic forces. The new government
has thus been the fruit of those election results and the partial change which they
reflected. This has offered a glimmer of hope which needs,
if it is to expand and open up broader prospects, to be nurtured, requiring a
host of prerequisites and the adoption of a new type of
thinking.
The meeting concluded that
what happened on 10th June
2014 has constituted an important juncture in the overall political situation in the country. It had also military-security,
social-political, and
moral-psychological repercussions on citizens and the whole society.
The meeting condemned the crimes perpetrated by the terrorist organization Isis against all the constituents of our people. It also praised the steadfastness of the people in the areas that have been plagued
by this ugly cancer,
and the growing spirit of resistance amongst their ranks.
The meeting warned against
underestimating the danger posed by Isis and its schemes, and the
black malice it harbors for Iraq and all Iraqis. It also praised the sacrifices of the military and security
forces, the Peshmerga, the popular mobilization force and the tribes, what they have done to
stop the expansion of Isis and
embark on liberating towns and villages, and the victories they have achieved recently.
In this regard, the
meeting called for providing all the requirements and conditions for the final
victory in the national battle against Isis and for activating factors to drain its resources.
In this context, it stressed the need to hold an all-encompassing National Conference, reform the political
process and achieve genuine
national reconciliation.
The Central Committee meeting
emphasized, on the other hand, the
need to devote all care and provide all the support and assistance to the hundreds of thousands of displaced people and to alleviate their suffering.
The meeting greeted the struggles
waged by various social groups and
sectors. In this respect, it considered the labor protest movement that developed in
recent days, praising it and
expressing support for the demands of the workers. It stressed the need for a speedy positive response by the government
to these demands, and a serious re-consideration of the
State's economic policy and strategy, to
ensure building an active,
dynamic and multi-resourced national
economy and expanding its productive base. The meeting
also stressed that the citizens, especially the hard-working and with low-incomes, must be spared the consequences
of the poor management of the country’s financial resources since 2003 and the recent decline
in global oil prices.
On concluding its meeting, the Central Committee unanimously renewed confidence
in its Secretary, Comrade Hamid Majid
Mousa, and elected Comrade Raid
Fahmi as deputy Secretary. It also elected the Political Bureau of the Central Committee.
An extensive political report about the deliberations of the meeting will
be issued soon.
Iraqi CP: Solidarity with the Iraqi people and their democratic forces - Sept. 2014
IRAQI COMMUNIST PARTY
September
2014
Solidarity with the Iraqi people
and
their democratic forces
On the 10th of June 2014, the terrorist organization known as
“Isis”, and its allies including remnants and supporters of Saddam’s fascist
dictatorship, launched an attack on Mosul, seizing control of Iraq’s second
largest city and unleashing a wave of barbaric crimes against tens of thousands
of innocent civilians. In the days and weeks that followed, the whole world
witnessed crimes against humanity being committed against innocent Iraqi
civilians. Religious and ethnic minorities were targeted, especially
Christians, Yezidis,Turkmen and Shabak, with the aim of uprooting indigenous
communities that have peacefully lived and coexisted in Iraq for over two thousand
years. Atrocities were committed against Yazidis, including the abduction of
hundreds of young women and children, and tens of thousands were forces to seek
refuge on Mount Sinjar where they were besieged and faced a humanitarian crisis
of unprecedented proportions. The mass killing of around 1700 unarmed young
military recruits at Camp Speicher in Salahuddin province was another heinous
war crime aimed at igniting sectarian strife. The terrorist onslaught has
created a humanitarian catastrophe. More than 1.6 million people have been
displaced this year by violence in Iraq, with 850,000 fleeing their homes in
August, according to the UN.
These barbaric crimes and the
perpetrators must be unequivocally condemned by all progressive forces, with
effective support and solidarity extended to the Iraqi people.
Background to recent developments
The recent grave developments cannot be isolated from what
Iraq has lived through in recent years.
The country has
been in a deep and total crisis caused by the legacy of long years of tyranny and
dictatorship, the consequences of the U.S. occupation and the interference of
regional powers. Its roots lie in the sectarian-ethnic power-sharing
system that has existed since 2003. The crisis has also exposed the agenda of the
ruling political forces and their fighting to maintain positions in political
power and privileges, while the people’s suffering and anger intensify as a
result of rampant unemployment, corruption and poor public services, health and
education, in addition to the deteriorating security situation.
The infighting among ruling groups, over power and
privileges, has provided a fertile ground for extremist Islamist and shadowy
groups to intensify acts of terrorism, carrying out heinous atrocities, with
the aim of pushing Iraq into sectarian strife and civil war. More than 7000
people were killed in 2013, by waves of car and suicide bombings. During
the last two months, in July and August 2014, around 3000 people were killed.
The victims are mainly innocent civilians, including workers and the unemployed
in poor districts.
The Iraqi
Communist Party had repeatedly warned against the danger of the country sliding once again into
sectarian strife, and called for urgent action by the democratic forces, and
for popular initiatives, to safeguard Iraq’s national unity.
Social and economic factors
It is also important
to highlight briefly the socio-economic nature of the present political system
in Iraq. The country has a rentier economy that is heavily dependent on oil
revenues, with marginalized productive sectors, and is highly consumerist,
relying heavily on imports. As a result, there has been a growth of comprador
and parasitic strata accumulating enormous wealth from public money grabbed
through corruption, big contracts with the state, in collusion with influential
officials, as well as speculation, smuggling of funds and other parasitic
activities.
There is a tendency,
which is becoming increasingly obvious, of the tangling of interests between
influential political forces in power and the growing parasitic and comprador
strata. These forces as whole, with support from international institutions
such as the IMF, World Bank, organisations of the UN and others, stand for
transforming the Iraqi economy to a total market economy and breaking up what
is left of the public sector through privatization and other measures that are
inspired by the ideological arsenal of neo-liberalism. The Iraqi Communist
Party firmly stands against these policies, puts forward its alternatives and
works to develop alignments bringing together those have an interest in
resisting this neo-liberal orientation.
Root cause of the
crisis
The radical remedy for the problems of
the country and its intractable crisis
lies in getting rid of the sectarian – ethnic power-sharing
system, commitment to the values of true democracy, with its political and social dimensions and institutions,
and building the state in line with its principles.
The means of administration and governance must ensure respect
for human rights, politically and socially, to guarantee
equal citizenship, social justice,
independence and national sovereignty. This
is the path for the establishment of a democratic civil state which provides all the necessary prerequisites for sustainable economic, social, political and cultural development, utilizing the abundant wealth of the people and country
for the good of its citizens and their well-being, prosperity
and social progress.
How to deal with the challenges
In response to the terrorist onslaught of "Isis"
and its allies, the Iraqi Communist Party has stressed the need for speeding up
the formation of a broad national unity government on the basis of a
comprehensive national program. This is needed to heal the national fabric, resolve
the differences that have paralyzed the national effort, and adopt a host of
political, economic and social measures that will strengthen the armed forces
and enable them to regain control as soon as possible of the cities and towns
that were ravaged by the terrorists.
The party has also called for convening a National
Conference in order to review the political process and address the root cause
of the ongoing crisis, by ridding it of sectarian-ethnic power-sharing and
political sectarianism. This is the only path forward to build a unified
democratic and federal Iraq.
Communists and their party organizations all over Iraq
have been actively involved in the national effort to fight and defeat the
ultra-reactionary terrorists and provide humanitarian support to the displaced
communities. They are playing, along with other democratic forces, a vital role
in combating sectarianism, chauvinism and nationalist bigotry, preserving
national unity and upholding human and democratic rights.
Communists are also
firmly opposed to the schemes that are aimed at dividing Iraq along sectarian
lines. It is up to the Iraqi people to decide their own fate, democratically,
with their own independent will, without interference by any outside powers,
and rejecting attempts to impose designs that serve imperialist agenda for
hegemony and exploitation
International
solidarity
In this just
struggle, international solidarity is indispensible. All forms of international
support extended to Iraq in its battle against terrorism should be based on
international legitimacy and within the framework of the UN. In this respect,
it is of utmost importance to continue humanitarian help to the hundreds of
thousands of displaced people. Effective measures are needed to cut off the
funding from reactionary regional and Arab forces, as well as blocking all
external human resources and material support, flowing to “Isis” and its
allies.
We call
on all the peace-loving and progressive forces in the world to express support
and solidarity with the Iraqi people and democratic forces in their fight
against the ultra-reactionary terrorist forces and political sectarianism, and
for a unified democratic and federal Iraq.
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