Blair Backs Edge Hill Academic's Book

A leading North West academic received a warm response from Prime Minister Tony Blair to his latest book at a special launch event at 10 Downing Street.

Professor Alan Johnson of Edge Hill University joined co-author Abdullah Muhsin; the International Representative of the Iraqi Unions; TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber; the Prime Minister?s Special Envoy on Human Rights to Iraq- the Rt Hon Ann Clywd MP; the Iraqi Ambassador and MPs to present the book 'Hadi Never Died: Hadi Saleh and the Iraqi Trade Unions? ? an examination of the struggles of the trade union movement in Iraq and the untimely death of the activist Hadi Saleh, who was tortured and murdered in his home by assassins loyal to Sadam Hussein.

The book made such an impact that it was discussed at Prime Minister?s question time when Mr Blair congratulated the authors and those who campaign for free and fair trade unions in Iraq. He also urged members of the House of Commons to read the book: "The position of the trade unions in Iraq has been absolutely transformed compared with the conditions under Sadam Hussein," Mr Blair commented. "The book is a great antidote to all those who say that nothing has improved since the fall of Sadam."

The book, which is published by the TUC, is both a tribute to Hadi Saleh and a history of Iraqi trade unionism. It tells the story of Hadi, the international officer of the Iraqi trade union movement, who embodied a new era for trade unionism in Iraq. Saddam tortured Hadi and kept him on death row for five years for independent labour activity.

Professor Johnson of Edge Hill University's Department of Social and Psychological Sciences said: "The new free unions face attacks from two sides ? the Iraqi Government seeks control over union funds, while the terrorists target trade union activists because they stand for democracy, pluralism, equality and human rights. Hadi Saleh embodied that brave stand."

Under Saddam unions were government controlled and their headquarters used as torture centres for the regime. In exile Hadi helped keep alive the free underground Iraqi trade union movement.

He returned to Iraq in 2003 after the fall of Saddam Hussein and rebuilt a free democratic trade union movement in Iraq, over 200,000 strong. But in January 2005, he was tortured and murdered in his Baghdad home. Shortly before he died Hadi Saleh said: "The aim of the anti-democratic forces is to stop the democratic process taking place now in Iraq"

The book includes many inspiring examples of British and international solidarity with Iraqi trade unions as they struggle to establish the freedom often taken for granted in the West.

A USA launch for the book is scheduled for December 7th in Washington DC, where Professor Johnson will join American and Iraqi trade unionists at the Global Organising Conference of the American Federation of Labour-Congress Organisations (AFL-CIO)