Iraq

Oil for Freedom
Part 5

94 Iraqi Unionists
Hassan Juma'a Awad, president of the General Union of Oil Workers, and Abu Lina, president of the Basra Trade Union Council, which is affiliated with the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions. The two hold hands, showing their friendship and respect. The GUOE played an important role in helping other unions affiliated to the IFTU organize in Basra, especially the unions for port workers in Um Qasr and Zubair, and for electrical generation workers. While their relations sometimes blow hot and cold, their ability to support each other was one of the main reasons why unions in Basra were able to organize successfully.