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Iraqi government bans teaching union leaders from coming to UK

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The Iraqi Minister for Education has placed a ban on two leaders of the Iraqi Teacher's Union from coming to the UK next week to attend the NASUWT's annual conference. TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber has written to the Iraqi Charge D'Affaires in the UK calling on his government to drop this highly discriminatory act.

Mr Abdulmuhaimen Al-Oreibi

Charge d'Affaires, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq.

26 March 2012

Dear Mr Al-Oreibi,

Leadership of Iraqi Teachers' Union banned from coming to the UK

I have just learned that the Iraqi Minister of Education claims to have banned two leaders of the Iraqi Teachers' Union (ITU) from travelling to the UK from 4 to 12 April 2012 to attend the annual conference of the NASUWT, their sister organisation and TUC affiliate. I call on the Iraqi government to immediately drop this highly discriminatory ban.

ITU President Mr Muhsin Ali, and the President of the Technical Sector, Mr Ahmed Jassam Salih, have already received approval from the UK Embassy in Baghdad to travel. They are being banned from travelling by your government solely on the grounds of their trade union activities. This highly discriminatory is a breach of International Labour Standards and of Iraq's own constitution.

We will be assisting our Iraqi colleagues to file a formal complaint at the International Labour Organisation if this ban is not lifted immediately.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely

BRENDAN BARBER

General Secretary

TUC

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