Britain’s Trade Unions Federation demands Iraqi government to cease interference in Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions.

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: The General Federation of the British Workers Trade Unions has demanded the Iraqi government to stop its interference in the affairs of the General Federation of the Iraqi Trade Unions, the British Federation said in a message, addressed to Iraq’s Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, made public here on Sunday.   “In the name of the British Trade Unions Federation and 55 trade unions enrolled to the Federation, representing 6 millions and 100,000 workers, I write to express for you our strong anxiety towards the interference of your government in the internal affairs of the Iraqi trade union movement,” The British Labor Federation’s Leader, Brandon Barber, said in his message addressed to Prime Minister Maliki.   Brandon said in his message that two Iraqi government decisions were issued on April 17, 2011, according to which the recognition of Iraq’s General Trade Union Federation was cancelled, together with the trade unions, belonging to the Federation, and instead, a ministerial preparatory committee was formed to control all the organizations of the Federation, its financial properties, as well as the observation of the forthcoming trade unions elections.   “I am confident that the said committee is unable to carry out free and integral elections, because it was not elected and only included representatives of the (Shiite) Sadrist Movement,” Barber said, adding that he had received reports that elements, appointed by the said ministerial committee had occupied the offices of the Iraqi Federation, with the support of the police and the Army.   According to Barber, the said decisions “shall lead to the election of a shameful operation,” adding that such measures, violates the Iraqi Labor Law of 1987, issued during Saddam’s regime, which is still valid.”   In conclusion, Barber, who called on the Iraqi government to cancel the said decisions, which he described as representing a “serious violation for the principles and rules of the International Labor Organization (ILO), called on the Iraqi government to abolish the decisions, threatening to demand the ILO to reject the participation of the Iraqi representative   in the next ILO Conference.   SKH (FT)     482