Iraq's Labor Issues

After a bit of googling, I found this article about how the economic policies imposed by the U.S. are affecting Iraq's workers. Under Saddam Hussein, industry was generally government-controlled, and the U.S. has been privatizing it on the (correct) theory that it will lead to more foreign investment. Unfortunately, in order to make it attractive to corporations, the CPA is taking positions on workers' rights which would not fly even among conservatives in the U.S. Forming unions is illegal, for example, and there is no right to strike or demonstrate peacefully about working conditions. CPA permission is required for businesses to get raises, and in some cases non-salary benefits have been eliminated. Unemployment is currently around 70%, and this is before privatization really gets going, which most feel will lead to further lay-offs. With workers organizing anyway, however, the U.S. will either have to adjust its plans to take into account the everyday realities for millions of Iraqis or face a staggering level of unrest which will have far more popular roots than Ba'athist remnants.