American Trade Unions (USLAW) Fund Communist-backed "Union of the Unemployed in Iraq" (UUI)

Investigating Imperialism website ^ | October 7, 2004 | Bronc1

[Bronc1]

At the same time, younger activists--including members of the WORKER COMMUNIST PARTY--carried out their own initiatives, which led most notably to the formation of the UNION OF THE UNEMPLOYED IN IRAQ (UUI). Both groups of activists are opposed to the U.S. occupation, says Thomas.

The main difference, he says, is that unions associated with the UUI "are not at all hesitant to support labor action in the face of the various decrees that are in place that prohibits labor organizing and strikes."

[Bronc1]

Delegation of U.S. unionists report back October 31, 2003

Labor journalist, David Bacon, who traveled to Iraq as part of a delegation from U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW) and activists from French unions.

What Bacon--along with Clarence Thomas, the former secretary-treasurer of International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 10--saw in Iraq has gone unnoticed in a corporate media focused only on "soldiers and bombers," Bacon said.

"We have to remember that there are millions of working people in Iraq," Bacon said after an evening forum at the USLAW national conference in Chicago last weekend, where he and Thomas reported on their trip. "They are trying, first of all, to survive this experience--which means go to work, feed their families, find housing for themselves in the midst of really difficult circumstances."

Clarence Thomas says that the new Iraqi labor movement has been shaped mainly by two groups. One is the Workers Democratic Trade Union Movement, an independent labor federation that was forced underground in the 1980s when it was targeted by Saddam's Baathists. Its older activists took advantage of the dismantling of the old police state to reemerge as a force, forming the core of the new Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions, which was launched in May.

At the same time, younger activists--including members of the Worker Communist Party--carried out their own initiatives, which led most notably to the formation of the Union of the Unemployed in Iraq (UUI). Both groups of activists are opposed to the U.S. occupation, says Thomas.

The main difference, he says, is that unions associated with the UUI "are not at all hesitant to support labor action in the face of the various decrees that are in place that prohibits labor organizing and strikes." The older unionists, Thomas says, "don't think that it is prudent to organize job actions and demonstrations, because they think that these can be exploited" by elements of the old regime who are resisting the occupation. For a photo of USLAW presenting $5,000 check to IIU and Federationof Workers Councils & Unions in Iraq, visit www.uslaboragainstwar.org/ and scroll down to bottom of page.

[DH]

Well? What do you think unions are? If you guessed "socialist" or "communist" you would be right. If not, I can't help you.