IRAQ: Oil workers defend public ownership

IRAQ: Oil workers defend public ownership
Marcus Greville, London

The US-led invasion of Iraq had as its central aim the installation of a pro-US Iraqi regime that would give international legitimacy to the takeover of Iraq's nationalised oil industry by the big Western, particularly US, oil corporations. Iraqi workers, particularly the oil workers, are overwhelmingly opposed to any plans to privatise their country's oil industry.

This was made very clear by the May 25-26 Basra Conference on Privatisation of the Public Sector organised by the 23,000-member General Union of Oil Employees (GUOE), according to accounts of the conference given by three British observers at a public forum held in London on June 21. Addressing the forum were Ewa Jasiewicz from Iraq Occupation Focus; Dr Martha Mundy, an anthropologist from the London School of Economics; and Greg Muttitt, a researcher from Platform, an organisation that campaigns for social justice and environmental protection.

The Basra conference adopted an uncompromising final resolution against the privatisation of not only the Iraqi oil industry, but the entire “public sector economy”.

The resolution stated: “The public sector economy of Iraq is one of the symbols of the achievement of Iraqis since the revolution of July 4, 1958, when it overthrew King Faisal II. It represents the common wealth of all Iraqis who built this sector. Hence, it is impermissible that a ministry or other party effect any change in this sector without consulting the people through the parliament or a general referendum.”

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http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/633/633p18.htm