Qasim Hadi is one of the founders and General Secretary of the
Interview by Nicolas Dessaux ;
Traduction from arabic to french : Hakim Arabdiou ; from french to english : Sandra Lhotellier
Qasim Hadi,
General secretary of the
Nicolas Dessaux :
How and when did you become a working-class militant ? And what were your
occupations under the regime of Saddam Hussein?
Qasim Hadi : I have always
had close links with the workmen. I live in Mousseiba,
a working-class city. Without being member of a political party, I had already
consciously participated in a lot of strikes and protest campaigns in several
factories of
Nevertheless, the lack
of political abilities and the inexperience concerning the leading of the
struggles ended in the lay-off and imprisonment in the small group of the
leader workmen, during this period.
Whereas
for my political education, I mainly owe it, from 1991, to a link with a member
of the “Organisation [the left] for the liberation of the working-class and of
course to the latter. They taught me, in particular, the way to run a
strike.
So this is how the first
actions of this type, which I successfully lead, have been those of the company
“ Noura”, in Kerbala, then for the public “Badr”,
for the military industry. Must be mentioned that it’s the
first time in the history of this industry in
These successes made the
group of activists assume a big prestige, aside the workers of the clothing
industry, to which I belong, to the point where most of the managers of the
state feared us. However, our activity had taken an aspect more social than
political.
ND : How do you explain the
success of the trade unions of the unemployed from the start of the invasion of
Qasim Hadi : This success is due
to the precise analysis of the aftermath of war and the occupation, mainly for
what relates to unemployment. As militant workers, we are above all preoccupied
by the social situation of our nation, firstly the working-class.
As a matter of fact, war
has destructed the civil institutions, the economic infrastructures and the
social services. The continuation of the occupation has also finished off what
remained of the Iraqi civil society. Let’s also add the factors of the pre-invasion : first and second war of the Gulf, economic
embargo and tyranny of the ba’athist government.
That’s why the setting up of the Union of the unemployed in such circumstances,
made us fix as a purpose the resolution of the latter, as an important
lever, to sensibly diminish the acuteness of the economic and social crisis,
which is striking Iraq.
ND : Has the situation of
the unemployed changed since 2003 ? If so, in a positive or negative manner ?
Qasim Hadi : As you know, the
situation of the unemployed worsens according to the bad social situation. Even
the jobs that the government had created, cleaning, discharge of the debris of
the war, etc, have only been temporary. The only industry in which people find
work is the commitment in the police and the army, and which the
government
Whereas
for the private sector, it is also facing all kind of hindrances, among others
the worsening of the security measures and the absence of infrastructures, in
particular electricity, transport and telecoms network. As we know, the
investors always seek the safety of their investments. That’s why the
investments are better in
ND : What are the current
activities of the Trade union of the unemployed ? Were they yet difficult, or
did it get harder since summer 2003?
Qasim Hadi
: After the multiple demonstrations and sit-in, that our Union had organised in
2003, and the bloody repression launched by the American administration and the
Iraqi authorities – arrests, shoots on sight on the demonstrators – in addition
to the inherited fear of the ancient government – have provoked a sensible
decrease of the workforces, who henceforth frequent our Union.
This new deal made us
redirect our activity, towards a guaranty of a minimum essential for the
unemployed. That’s how we submitted to the ministries in charge of different
social allowances, a project for the improvement and tax exemptions, as well as
the allowances given to the unemployed. But our offer has been rejected.
We have also launched,
since may 2004, a campaign of free house calls, in aid
of the unemployed and their families. This campaign received the voluntary
contribution of 250 specialist doctors in their private clinics, the free
delivery or affordable prices medicine by sixteen pharmaceutical dispensaries
and the twenty two surgical operations in action in the private hospitals as
well as the hospital-university Institutes of the country.
Even thanks to VAST’s support, a specialized Canadian NGO, our company is
now undertaking, at Kirkuk, the building and
equipment, of a health centre, which will also be endowed with a maternity home
and an emergency ward. This dispensary will cover the needs of over 35000
habitants.
ND : What were the links
between the Trade Union of the unemployed and the
Qasim Hadi : The workmen militants
of
ND : Did you yourself or
your relatives suffer directly from the occupation and terrorism?
Qasim Hadi : Naturally, following
the example of any family in
Whereas
for myself, I’m threatened by terrorists, because I denounce the wrongdoings of
the political Islam against women, workers, the unemployed and against my
country. I have also been imprisoned three times by the American occupation
forces as the “leader” of these protest campaigns.
Interview by Nicolas Dessaux ;
Traduction from arabic to french : Hakim Arabdiou ; from french to english : Sandra Lhotellier