PRESS STATEMENT: MURDER OF TOP IRAQI TRADE UNION OFFICIAL

5 January 2005

David Cockroft, General Secretary of global union federation the ITF, said today: "I have to report with sadness that we have learned of the murder at his home last night of Hadi Salih, International Officer of the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU)."

"A month ago at the congress of the ICFTU (International Confederation of Free Trade Unions) Hadi Salih was telling us of his hopes to build a democratic union that would, in his words ' bring together all Iraqis no matter what their background, ethnicity or religion'."

"This was a man who was imprisoned, sentenced to death and driven into exile by Saddam Hussein. Yet he returned to Iraq to try and help its people build democratic institutions that would protect their rights as citizens and workers. He was the kind of person that Iraq needs now and in the future. His murderers have done that country no favours. They deserve only contempt." 

ENDS

For more information contact ITF press officer, Sam Dawson.
Direct line: + 44 (0)20 7940 9260.
Email: dawson_sam@itf.org.uk

International Transport Workers' Federation - ITF:
HEAD OFFICE
ITF House, 49 - 60 Borough Road, London SE1 1DS
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7403 2733,
Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7375 7871.
Email: mail@itf.org.uk

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