ICEM protests oil minister's refusal to meet with unions

According to this report, the International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions (ICEM) "opposes Oil Minister Hussain al-Shahristani's refusal to meet with Iraq's oil workers and instructions to the ministry's departments and companies to cut off all ties. The ICEM says the move is because the unions are vocal opponents to a draft oil law, which they say will open the doors of Iraq's vast oil reserves to foreign and private companies. Saddam Hussein barred oil workers from unionizing and subsequent governments have also weighed in that direction." The ICEM website is located at http://www.icem.org.