Written question asked by David Anderson (Labour) on Friday, 23 July 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 27 July 2010. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Monday, 6 September 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Iraq: Trade Unions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the position of trade unions in the electricity sector in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: Officials from our embassy in Baghdad held discussions with the Leader of the Electricity Workers and Employees Union in July and they expressed concern about the current situation relating to unions in Iraq. The Ministry of Electricity has informed officials at our embassy that an investigation into the conduct of activities relating to unions at the Ministry of Electricity is being carried out. The results of the investigation will be made public. We await the outcome of this investigation. We will continue to discuss the situation with Iraqi officials and US and EU colleagues.

Secondary information