The death of (another) trade union activist

I never "forget" how in so many countries trade unionists are persecuted, but maybe, I should write about it more on this blog. So thanks to Harry at three score years and ten for reminding us of the sad murder of Moaaid Hamid who was the vice president of the General Federation of Iraqi Workers (GFIW).

The Islamic extremists who are currently engaged in an orgy of killing and cruelty in Iraq find it very easy to hate their fellow human beings for all kinds of reasons. One category of human they don't like is trade unionists - salt of the earth, on the side of the little guy - trade unionists.

No matter how wrong the invasion of Iraq was, it gives absolutely no justification for the persecution of trade unionists by the religious nutters currently swaggering around that poor country.  It also reminds us of the hostility of many religious activists around the world to people coming together in trade unions.

Comments

[D.R.M.]

If Trade Unionists gained the rights they desired, the common person in Iraq would have less need for dogmatic Islam (Islam offers social benefits the state would provide in a social democratic country).

That’s my theory for explaining the antagonism between the Trade Unionists and Islamists.