The Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI) is the second largest

union federation A national trade union center (or national center or central) is a federation or confederation of trade unions in a country. Nearly every country in the world has a national trade union center, and many have more than one. In some regions, such a ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...

. The federation was formed in December 2003 by members of the Union of the Unemployed of Iraq, which is connected to the Worker Communist Party of Iraq as a

left-wing Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy. Left-wing politics typically involve a concern for those in soci ...

alternative to the now defunct Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU). Between 2004 and 2005, the Iraqi Communist Party-affiliated IFTU was the only legally recognized union federation in Iraq; it merged with the General Federation of Trade Unions and the General Federation of Iraqi Trade Unions in 2005 to form the General Federation of Iraqi Workers or the Iraqi Workers' Federation. * This "legal recognition" of one union federation over another was a violation of the International Labour Organisation's Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, to which Iraq and all the occupying powers are signatory

look for Convention 87; Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948.) The FWCUI opposes both the U.S.-led

occupation of Iraq Occupation of Iraq or Iraq occupation may refer to: * Occupation of Iraq (2003–2011) (occupation by American, British and Italian forces) * Mandatory Iraq The Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration, or Mandatory Iraq ( ar, الانت ...

and the Islamist elements of the

Iraqi insurgency Iraqi insurgency may refer to: * Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011), part of the Iraq War ** Iraqi insurgency (2003–2006), 2003–2006 phase of the Iraqi insurgency ** Iraqi civil war (2006–2008), multi-sided civil war in Iraq * Iraqi insurgency (20 ...

, and it is often repressed by both the foreign and Islamist forces. Many anti-war movements around the world have provided venues for FWCUI speaker tours. A third labor formation known as the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq also exists. The FWCUI's members have led a number of

strike Strike may refer to: People * Strike (surname) Physical confrontation or removal *Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm *Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...

s, and are particularly strong around the

Basra Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is han ...

region.

References

External links

{{Portal, Organized labour Economy of Iraq Society of Iraq Trade unions in Iraq National federations of trade unions