Members of the Iraqi labor movement have spent the last two weeks touring the United States. It is the first of its kind tour attempting to highlight the struggles of Iraqi workers under Saddam Hussein and new problems they are facing under the current government. Last Wednesday in Hartford, Connecticut, Adnan Rashed, a leader of the Union of Mechanics, Printing and Metals Workers, addressed a standing room only crowd at the state headquarters of 1199/SEIU. Melinda Tuhus was there for the Workers Independent News.
Members of three labor organizations have been speaking in different cities about current conditions of Iraqi workers and their families. All three federations oppose the U.S. occupation and want foreign troops to leave their country. Unemployment in Iraq is 50 percent, and US companies often bring in foreign workers instead of hiring Iraqis. Rashed says civil society is still not functioning. Through a translator, Rashed told the crowd:

[Rashed via translator]: The biggest obstacle we find in the labor force is that the work force is suffering from lack of basic services such as water, electricity and other basic needs that are needed for reconstruction and for rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure.