Support the bus worker's struggle in Iran!
Submitted on Thu, 03/23/2006 - 7:20pm
Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadjinejad,President of the Republic
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: + 98-21-6648.06.65 or: + 98 21 649 5880
Dear Mr. President,
We have written you in the past concerning the situation with the bus workers and their union in Tehran. We understand that the situation has escalated since we last wrote you. The International Solidarity Committee of the Industrial Workers of the World wrote you previously requesting the release of imprisoned union activists and leaders. At that time no release occurred, and the workers sought to strike in protest of the illegimate and brutal repression on their coworkers and comrades. We have read that security forces of your government preemptively arrested and beat workers, and their families including workers' wives and children. Thereafter an international campaign was launched to free these workers from wrongful harm. We understand that now most of the arrested workers have been freed.
However, Mansoor Ossanlou and five other members of the union's executive are still in jail. On March 7th the union's spokesperson was also arrested. Hundreds of activists and organisers of the strike have not been allowed back to work. On 22nd February 150 workers assembled outside the Labour Ministry building in East Tehran to call for their jobs back. The bus workers? demands remain unmet.
We ask you to concede to the workers' demands. Their struggle has been one to attain fundamental autonomy and justice that is the right of all workers. We demand freedom for all political prisoners, and the unimpeded right to collective workplace struggle in Iran. This includes:
- 1. The recognition of the Syndicate by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran
- 2. The unconditional freedom of all the activists of the Syndicate of Vahed Workers
- 3. The recognition of a collective bargaining agreement
- 4. The disbanding of the Vahed company's Islamic council.
We look forward to your response.
Sincereley,
The International Solidarity Committee of the Industrial Workers of the World [email protected]