Tony Blair promises to act in favour of free Iraqi trade unions

In response to a question today from Dave Anderson who asked the Government to do all in its power to persuade Iraqi ministers to rescind restrictions on Iraqi unions, the Prime Minister said that his ministers and the Special Envoy on Human Rights to Iraq, Ann Clwyd, were making these points and that there should be no inhibitions on free and fair unions in Iraq. He praised the TUC pamphlet on the life and times of murdered Iraqi union leader Hadi Saleh and said that the TUC book showed the tremendous transformations that had taken place and that this was an antidote to those who say nothing has improved in Iraq.

The full transcript will be published as soon as possible.

Gary Kent