The Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU) is the largest union federation in Iraq and the only officially recognized trade union body. It was formed in the aftermath of the Iraq War by several groups, most prominently the Iraqi Communist Party, which wished to disassociate itself from the National Front it had formed with the Ba'ath Party in the 1970s.
The IFTU was formed on May 16, 2003, at a meeting of the Workers Democratic Trade Union Movement (WDTUN) attended by 350 Iraqi trade unionists.
Although initially opposed by the U.S.-led occupation forces, the federation was later given exclusive rights to unionize public sector workers in the country. The union has since been attacked by sections of the Iraqi insurgency, and former leader Hadi Saleh was assassinated in January 2005.
It often finds itself in competition with the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq and the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq, neither of which are officially recognized. One of the issues that divide these unions is how they relate to the occupation authorities.
The IFTU, which is linked to political parties that are part of the Iraqi government, opposed the American invasion but claims it has been forced to work with the occupation forces following the invasion. The FWCUI takes a harder line toward the occupation authorities, calling for an immediate troop withdrawal.
However, all three union federations have agreed on a common statement, which states that the "occupation must end in all its forms, including military bases and economic domination" and that the "war was fought for oil and regional domination, in violation of international law, justified by lies and deception, without consultation with the Iraqi people." The statement also condemned the occupation's economic program, stating its "opposition to the imposition of privatization of the Iraqi economy by the occupation, the IMF, the World Bank, foreign powers".
In 2007, the IFTU joined with the other trade union federations to oppose the U.S.-backed national oil law, and supported a planned strike by the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq to protest the law.
Famous quotes containing the words iraqi, federation, trade and/or unions:
“I will cut the head off my baby and swallow it if it will make Bush lose.”
—Zainab Ismael, Iraqi housewife. As quoted in Newsweek magazine, p. 31 (November 16, 1992)
“Women realize that we are living in an ungoverned world. At heart we are all pacifists. We should love to talk it over with the war-makers, but they would not understand. Words are so inadequate, and we realize that the hatred must kill itself; so we give our men gladly, unselfishly, proudly, patriotically, since the world chooses to settle its disputes in the old barbarous way.”
—General Federation Of Women’s Clubs (GFWC)
“The trade of advertising is now so near perfection that it is not easy to propose any improvement. But as every art ought to be exercised in due subordination to the public good, I cannot but propose it as a moral question to these masters of the public ear, whether they do not sometimes play too wantonly with our passions.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“The newly-formed clothing unions are ready to welcome her; but woman shrinks back from organization, Heaven knows why! It is perhaps because in organization one find the truest freedom, and woman has been a slave too long to know what freedom means.”
—Katharine Pearson Woods (1853–1923)