Hadi Saleh 1949-2005

Normblog rightly highlights the Guardian obituary of Communist and Trade Unionist Hadi Saleh recently killed by insurgents in Iraq (see previous post). Abdullah Muhsin writes:

"Hadi Saleh's commitment to trade unionism was a vital feature of his vision for a democratic, peaceful and federal Iraq, which would unite all Iraqis, regardless of their background, ethnicity or religion. For him, trade unions would be the key to achieving such unity. Thus he championed workers' rights to organise and to strike to achieve decent jobs, pay and working conditions: the basic building blocks of strong, non-sectarian trade unionism. Such a strategy remains the only way to defeat the IMF shock therapy and trans-national economic occupation, which has been imposed undemocratically on Iraqis by the occupying powers.

"However, his commitment to independent trade unionism was also linked to his determination to end the occupation of our country and to rebuild civil society."