INTERNATIONAL TRADE UNION CONFEDERATION
ITUC OnLine
105/260710 Brussels, 26 July 2010 (ITUC OnLine): The ITUC strongly
protest against the Ministerial Order, Issue 22 244, of the Iraqi Government.
This Order clearly violates trade union rights.
According to the information received by the ITUC, the
Ministerial Order, issued by the Minister of Electricity, prohibits all trade
union activities in the electricity sector and orders the ministry, in
coordination with the police, to close all trade union offices and take control
of the trade unions assets, properties, documents, furniture and computers. It
also gives to the police the authority to arrest any trade unionist who tries to
protest against the Ministerial Order, under the terrorism act of 2005.
“This is totally unacceptable”, said Sharan Burrow, ITUC
general secretary. “This is nothing else but a case of intimidation of free,
independent and democratic trade unions. In a letter http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/23-07-2010
_Electricity_workers.pdf to the Iraqi Government, the ITUC urges Prime Minister
Mr. Nori Al-Maliki to take without delay all necessary measures to stop this
unjust government action.
"The Iraqis authorities must take urgent and effective
measures to guarantee the freedom of association in the electricity sector,"
insisted ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow. Iraq, as a member of the ILO, is
bound by international treaties, including ILO Convention 87 on freedom of
association.
The ITUC represents 176 million workers in 156 countries and
territories and has 312 national affiliates. http://www.ituc-csi.org y http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI
For more information, please contact the ITUC Press
Department on 32 2 224 02 04 or + 32 476 62 10 18
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