This "legal recognition" of one union federation over another was a violation of the International Labour Organisation's Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, to which Iraq and all the occupying powers are signatory.([1], look for Convention 87; Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948.)
The FWCUI opposes both the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq and the Islamist elements of the Iraqi insurgency, and it is often repressed by both the foreign and Islamist forces. Many anti-war movements around the world have provided venues for FWCUI speaker tours. A third labor formation known as the Federation of Oil Unions in Iraq also exists.
The FWCUI's members have led a number of strikes, and are particularly strong around the Basra region.