Iraq's weakened unions fight foreign oil firms

Reuters

By Aref Mohammed

BASRA, Iraq, July 13 (Reuters) - Unions are lobbying against Iraq's new oil contract with BP (BP.L) and China's CNPC, but the weakened labour movement may have a hard time thwarting deals desperately needed to revive a struggling oil sector.

The Federation of Oil Unions of Iraq and the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions in Iraq have condemned the Oil Ministry's decision to award a foreign consortium the contract to develop Rumaila, the country's largest producing oilfield."