Saddam Rides Again, As Sharistani

From "Hadi Never Died - Hadi Saleh and the Iraqi Trade Unions" by Abdullah Muhsin and Alan Johnson, (TUC July 2006) page 22.

"On March 11, 1987 Saddam Hussein appeared on national television sitting alongside the leaders of the GFTU and the 'Central Workers Office' of the Ba'ath party. Smiling he announced, "From now on, the title 'worker' is abolished and all workers shall become official employees of the State." Trade union organisation in the public sector was banned. "As everybody is now a government employee, there is no need for trade unions", said Saddam. Around 80 per cent of public sector workers were reclassified as 'state officials' and strikes were declared illegal."

From a statement by the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers Union (13 August, 2007).

"The ICEM is in strong support of oilworkers’ trade unions in Iraq over the most recent denial of their rights. Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein Sharistani, through his legal adviser Laith abd al Hussein Shahir, issued a formal directive to the country’s oil companies, ordering them not to deal with trade unions and to exclude trade unionists from work committees."

AND

"The General Union of Oil Workers and Technicians (GUOWT), part of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW), sent a delegation on 6 August to meet with the oil minister. Sharistani refused to meet, but sent the Information director of the ministry to tell the trade unionists that the oil minister “will not meet with people that represent unions in the oil sector” because there are no workers in this sector, only “state employees.”"

THEN there is this video from America.