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Contemporary Social Movements in Iraq: Mapping the Labor Movement and the 2015 Mobilizations Author: Dr

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Contemporary Social Movements in Iraq: Mapping the Labor Movement and the 2015 Mobilizations Author: Dr STUDIEN AUTHOR: DR. RIMA MAJED RESEARCH ASSISTANT: DR. JANAN ALJABIRI CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN IRAQ: MAPPING THE LABOR MOVEMENT AND THE 2015 MOBILIZATIONS AUTHOR: DR. RIMA MAJED RESEARCH ASSISTANT: DR. JANAN ALJABIRI CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL MOVEMENTS IN IRAQ: MAPPING THE LABOR MOVEMENT AND THE 2015 MOBILIZATIONS Study commissioned by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study would not have been possible without the help, guidance, and dedication of Janan Aljabiri who worked with me on this project as research assistant. It is to her and to the people of Iraq who have been leading heroic struggles that this study is dedicated. I would also like to thank the RLS colleagues in Beirut and Berlin who worked with us on this project and who funded the research and the field trips to Baghdad. Their patience, encouragement, and support were very important for the completion of this study. Finally, my biggest gratitude goes to all the people I have met with and interviewed in Iraq, to those who gave me their time to help me better understand their everyday lives, and to those who were generous enough to sit with me for long hours in cafes talking about Iraq, past, present, and future. Rima Majed (PhD), Assistant Professor of Sociology at the American University of Beirut. We would also like to thank Dr. Zahra Ali for her insightful comments and careful review of the study. IMPRINT STUDIEN 10/2020 is published by the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Responsible: Miriam Younes Franz-Mehring-Platz 1 · 10243 Berlin, Germany · www.rosalux.de ISSN 2194-2242 · Editorial deadline: September 2020 Illustration front page: Frank Ramspott/iStockphoto Proofreading: Gegensatz Translation Collective Setting/Production: MediaService GmbH Druck und Kommunikation ABSTRACT Most recent research on Iraq focuses on tendencies in the literature by looking at contemporary social towards Islamization, sectarianism and violence. movements in Iraq. It focuses on two case-studies: (i) Knowledge about contemporary Iraqi political actors the post-2003 labor movement, and (ii) the 2015 mass (political parties, groups, initiatives, movements) that mobilization. It first starts with a thorough desk review define themselves as non-sectarian or progressive is of primary and secondary sources (books, academic scattered. Even if in 2015 some light was shed on the articles, and newspaper archives), then relies on emerging demonstrations against a political system 24 semi-structured interviews and a focus group defined by corruption, patronage, socio-economic discussion with representatives of trade unions and inequalities, and sectarianism, a deeper understanding protest coordination committees in order to analyse of these emerging actors, their origins, developments, the dynamics of the social and political mobilization of ideas, goals, and challenges is still lacking. In times these groups in post-war Iraq. This study shows that of rapid changes in the Arab world with new political the emergence of trade union organizations and social constellations emerging and prospects for future movement organizations in the post-war era played an changes in the region shaping up, an understanding important role in shaping Iraq’s current political, social, of social and political actors, programs, and options is and economic landscape beyond the meta-narratives of major importance. This study attempts to fill a gap of war and sectarianism. Table of ConTenTs TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Acronyms ������������������������������������������������������������� 5 Introduction ���������������������������������������������������������������� 6 Methodology ����������������������������������������������������������������7 Chapter 1: Understanding Iraq’s Social, Political, and Economic Structures ���������������������� 9 The Political Structures ����������������������������������������������������������9 Federalism ����������������������������������������������������������������9 Consociational Democracy and Sectarian Politics ���������������������������������������9 Militia Rule ���������������������������������������������������������������10 The Economic Structures ��������������������������������������������������������10 Rentier Economy �����������������������������������������������������������11 Clientelism and Nepotism �����������������������������������������������������11 Unemployment, Underemployment ����������������������������������������������11 The Social Structures ����������������������������������������������������������12 Sectarianization of Society �����������������������������������������������������12 Tribalism ����������������������������������������������������������������13 Lack of Security and Safety ����������������������������������������������������13 Chapter 2: Mapping Progressive Social and Political Actors in Iraq ����������������������������15 Introduction ����������������������������������������������������������������15 Leftist and Communist parties in Iraq ������������������������������������������������15 Iraqi Communist Party �������������������������������������������������������16 The Workers Communist Party of Iraq ���������������������������������������������17 Other Leftist and Communist Organizations in Iraq �������������������������������������20 The Women’s Movement in Iraq ���������������������������������������������������21 The Labor Movement in Iraq ������������������������������������������������������23 The Mass Protest Movement in Iraq: Waves of 2011, 2015, and 2018 ���������������������������26 Chapter 3: Case Study 1: The Labor Movement and Trade Unions in Iraq ������������������������29 Timeline of the Labor Movement in Iraq �����������������������������������������������29 Mapping the Labor Movement in Iraq Today ��������������������������������������������32 Legal Reform as a Priority �������������������������������������������������������32 Victories Against the Odds �������������������������������������������������������33 Challenges Facing the Labor Movement Today ������������������������������������������33 1 Legal Barriers ������������������������������������������������������������34 2 Militia Rule and Political Instability �����������������������������������������������34 3 Unions Without Workers? ����������������������������������������������������34 4 Internal Divisions ����������������������������������������������������������35 5 External and International Labor Organizations ��������������������������������������35 6 Racism and Nationalism �����������������������������������������������������36 Chapter 4: Case Study 2: The Mass Protests of 2015–2016 ���������������������������������38 Timeline of the Mass Protests 2010–2018 ���������������������������������������������38 Mapping the Protest Movement of 2015 ����������������������������������������������41 Mass Protests Versus Identity Politics ������������������������������������������������42 A Leaderless Movement? ��������������������������������������������������������43 The Double-Edged Sword of ‘Depoliticization’ ������������������������������������������43 Culture and Creativity within the Protest Movement ���������������������������������������44 Sadr’s Participation and its Effects ��������������������������������������������������44 Conclusion �����������������������������������������������������������������46 Appendix ������������������������������������������������������������������48 Appendix 1: Iraq’s 18 Governorates �������������������������������������������������48 Appendix 2: Budgeted Public Employment ��������������������������������������������49 Appendix 3: Size of Protests in Baghdad in 2015 �����������������������������������������49 Appendix 4: Distribution of Religious and Ethnic Groups ������������������������������������50 Bibliography ����������������������������������������������������������������51 4 lisT of Acronyms LIST OF ACRONYMS CPA Coalition Provisional Authority KRG Kurdistan Regional Government CSO Civil Society Organization KRI Kurdistan Region of Iraq FWCU Federation of Workers Councils LDIWR League for the Defense of and Unions in Iraq Iraqi Women’s Rights GDP Gross Domestic Product MENA Middle East and North Africa GFIW General Federation of Iraqi Women NGO Non-Governmental Organization GFIW General Federation of Iraqi Workers OCAI Organization of Communist Alternative GUOE General Union of Oil Employees in Iraq IGC Iraqi Governing Council OPEC Organization of the Petroleum Exporting ICP Iraqi Communist Party Countries IFC Iraq Freedom Congress OWA Office of Women’s Affairs IFOU Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions OWFI Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq ILO International Labor Organization PMF Popular Mobilization Forces IMF International Monetary Fund RLS Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung ING International Non-Governmental SOCU Southern Oil Company Union Organization UN United Nations ISCI Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq US United States ISIL Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant UUI Unemployed Union of Iraq IWL Iraqi Women’s League WCPI Workers’ Communist Party of Iraq 5 inTroduction INTRODUCTION The sweltering Iraqi summer of 2018 brought with it destruction of the middle class and a huge brain drain upheaval in the city of Basra. While fieldwork for this that had devastating social implications (Sassoon, study was underway, mass mobilizations erupted in the 2012). At that time, the country was held under the iron oil-rich south of the country and quickly spread to other grip of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship that left no room regions—namely
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