iaswi newsletter, workers in iran, vol 5, no 1, may 8, 2015

of 14 IASWI Bulletin, Vol. 5, Number 1 – May 08, 2015 www.workers-iran.org

International Alliance in Support of Workers in

Iran (IASWI)

IASWI Bulletin - May Day Special Edition:

Workers in Iran May 8, 2015 Volume 5, Number 1

[email protected] / www.workers-iran.org

In this issue: Joint May Day Resolution of Independent Iranian Workers’ Organizations

Another wave of arrests and repression of labour activists in Iran prior to May Day

A Brief Look at workers’ struggles in Iran in 1393 (March 21, 2014 to March 20, 2015)

French trade union federations: Arbitrary arrests on the eve of May 1 in Iran

Protest letter by the US Labor Against the War

A brief report on the strike at York University and University of Toronto

Sample protest letter

Joint May Day Resolution of Independent Iranian Workers’ Organizations

Translator’s Note: The following joint resolution by seven independent Iranian labor unions and organizations has been issued amidst a growing wave of strikes by workers, protests by teachers and nurses, and arrests of union leaders. The resolution specifically targets “the capitalist system which rules Iran …cannot and does not want to put an end to the existing unbearable situation.” The resolution further opposes discrimination against women, ethnic, national, religious minorities and Afghan migrant workers. In conclusion, it states: “We condemn the escalating war and killings in the Middle East region. In our view, this horrible situation, the unprecedented rise of terrorist organizations and the policies of terror in the countries of the region are caused by the dead end which capitalist relations have reached in their failure to satisfy the needs of human beings today, and by the anti-human policies of western and regional governments.” The original Persian text can be found at http://www.etehadeh.com/?page=news&nid=4333

This translation will be published in the Bulletin of the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran. http://www.workers-iran.org

Joint May Day Resolution of Independent Iranian Workers’ Organizations

May 1, 2015

Today, we have come together in solidarity at a time when a large and united movement of workers, teachers, nurses and other toiling masses in Iran is in the process of formation around the issue of subsistence and ending poverty and squalor.

The occurrence of tens of workers’ strikes around the country, endless gatherings of teachers, united protests of nurses and the expansion of workers’ struggles in the form of participation by family members at protests, petitions, gatherings in front of the parliament and Ministry of Labor and daily protests in key industries such as petrochemical, mining and automobile production, all reveal aspects of the objective development of this social movement. By creating powerful, united and nationwide protests, this movement aims to challenge the absolute lack of rights and

http://www.etehadeh.com/?page=news&nid=4333

http://www.workers-iran.org/


deprivation imposed on millions of working class families.

This movement is gaining ever broader dimensions under the following circumstances: The capitalist system which rules Iran is the scene of a struggle over how to plunder a larger share of our wages. It cannot and does not want to put an end to the existing unbearable situation. That is why it has ratified a monthly minimum wage of 712,000 Tomans ($235) and shamelessly congratulates us on such a humiliating wage. It ferociously steals from this meager and shameful wage by not paying it on time, by cutting subsidies, increasing prices daily, removing the controls on the price of bread, and imposing a 9% value added tax on staple good. By repressing justified labor protests, holding mass trials of protesting workers and sentencing them to flogging and long prison terms, it aims at forcing the Iranian working class to submit to the present situation and to something even more miserable.

There is no doubt that imposing increasing poverty and squalor on millions of working class families and further intensifying the repression against labor protests will not create an escape for the capitalist system that dominates Iran. Rather, workers and all of Iran’s toiling people are being challenged to enter a defining battle against the existing situation. Soon, in the face of such lack of rights, repression, desperation and hopelessness concerning the inability to earn our basic subsistence, the boiling anger of Iran’s workers and toilers will weaken the ground on which the agents and perpetrators of this situation stand. Thus, we the undersigned warn against the continuation of the policies which impose poverty and squalor, and the unprecedented intensification in the repression of labor protests. In denouncing the continuation of such policies, we state our demands as the following and insist that these demands be met:

1. We condemn the 712,000 Toman ($235) monthly minimum wage which has been imposed on the working class through a puppet show involving the government, managers, so-called labor representatives and the deceptive atmosphere created by official and government media. We strongly demand an immediate revision of the official minimum wage and its increase to 3,000,000 Tomans ($1000) per month based on the cost of a consumer basket of goods and services according to modern living standards.

2. We wholeheartedly defend the justified and relentless protests of teachers and nurses. The unity and oneness of the struggles of all Iranian toilers and the increasing manifestation of this unity as a social and nationwide strug-gle is the only way to end the existing deprivation. We call for the immediate realization of all the demands of teachers and nurses.

3. We strongly condemn the efforts of the government and the House of Labor*(official labor union) to impose state-sponsored unions on Iran’s working class. These are unions which are organized from above through the creation of guilds and so-called associations. We call for the creation of syndicates, councils and independent la-bor organizations by workers at worksites, demand an end to any prohibition and limitation on the creation of these organizations, and oppose the intervention of the government and managers in these organizations.

4. We strongly condemn any repression of labor and popular protests. We condemn widespread executions and abominable verdicts which call for flogging and long prison terms for protesting workers, or impose inhuman conditions on imprisoned labor activists and other prisoners. We demand an immediate end to executions, the abolition of the death penalty and flogging, the immediate and unconditional release of all workers and political prisoners, and an end to legal proceedings against them.

5. The unconditional right to strike, protest, march, assembly, freedom of speech, opinion, association and press should be recognized as self-evident and irrevocable social rights of workers and all the people of Iran.

6. Workers’ unpaid wages must be paid immediately and without any excuses. Any delay in the payment of wages must be subject to legal action, and workers must be indemnified for any damages caused by such late payment.

7. We demand guaranteed job security, an end to enslaving temporary labor contracts, and “blank check” contracts [which include no rights and benefits for workers—tr.], the elimination of temporary labor and labor contracting agencies, the extension of labor law protection to all workers employed by small workshops and all workers em-ployed in free enterprise zones, and the introduction of immediate insurance coverage for construction workers.

8. We strongly condemn the ratification of any anti-labor legislation under any title. By pointing out the existence of anti-labor articles in the existing labor law, we demand that it be changed through the intervention of genuine representatives of workers.


9. We consider the daily increase in the number of deadly and injurious workplace accidents to be the result of the managers’ unreal expectations, the profit motive, and the obliteration of workers’ most basic human and social rights. We demand the immediate enforcement of the highest safety standards at the workplace.

10. The expulsions and layoffs of workers under any pretexts have to be stopped. All who are unemployed or have reached the age of employment and are not employed, should benefit from unemployment insurance compati-ble with modern living standards.

11. All laws which discriminate against women should be abolished immediately. Complete and unconditional equal-ity of women and men in all arenas of social, economic, political, cultural and family life should be recognized.

12. All retirees should benefit from a comfortable life, and any discrimination or inequality in the payment of pen-sions and benefits should be removed. While we insist that one of the government’s main responsibilities is to provide free healthcare as a fundamental right of the people of Iran, we demand the reversal of the plan to com-bine the social security fund with universal healthcare. We call for the immediate and public prosecution of those who have plundered this fund. This fund should be placed under the control of representatives elected by public assemblies of employed and retired workers, without any influence from the government and managers.

13. Any form of child labor should be absolutely abolished. Children regardless of sex, economic and social status, national, racial and religious identities, should benefit from complete social security, free and equal educational opportunities, health benefits and amenities.

14. We demand the removal of any discrimination against migrant Afghan workers and other nationalities in Iran, and call for an immediate end to their expulsion and the granting of citizenship rights to this group of fellow class members.

15. By emphasizing the exploitative nature of the capitalist system around the world, and by expressing our appreci-ation for the solidarity which international labor organizations have extended to the struggles of Iranian workers, we declare our support for labor protests around the world and stress the need for international labor solidarity.

16. We condemn the escalating war and killings in the Middle East region. In our view, this horrible situation, the unprecedented rise of terrorist organizations and the policies of terror in the countries of the region are caused by the dead end which capitalist relations have reached in their failure to satisfy the needs of human beings to-day, and by the anti-human policies of western and regional governments. By calling on workers and all freedom-seeking people around the world to protest against war and destruction in the Middle East region, we demand an immediate end to this war.

17. May Day or International Workers’ Day should be declared an official holiday. All restrictions and limitations on ceremonies commemorating this day should be abolished.

The following labor organizations are the signatories of this resolution:

- The Free Union of Iranian Workers

- Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers’ Guild

- Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Workers’ Syndicate

- Alborz Province Painters’ Syndicate

- Center for the Defenders of Workers’ Rights

- Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations

- Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Workers’ Organizations

Translated by Frieda Afary May 3, 2015 I would like to thank Hoshang Tareh Gol for reading this translation and making helpful suggestions. F.A.


Another wave of arrests and repression of labour activists in Iran prior to May Day

April 30, 2015 - In recent days and weeks many workers and labour activists have been detained or summoned by

security and intelligence forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Among these workers and labour activists are:

Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President, and Davoud Razavi, board member, of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and

Suburbs Bus Company, who were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29, 2015 and transferred to the

Evin prison. Mahmoud Salehi, a well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee to Help Form

Workers’ Organizations, and Osman Ismaili, labour activist and spokesperson of the Workers' Defense Committee of

Mahabad, respectively were arrested in the cities of Saqez and Mahabad on April 28, 2015. Khaled Hosseini, a labour

activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, have been summoned several times and interrogated by the

intelligence agents in the City of Sanandaj.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Pedram Nasrollahi, another well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinat-ing Committee in the city of Sanandaj, was arrested by plain clothes agents who raided the home of a friend where Pedram and his wife were visiting. According to the Coordinating Committee, the agents, without a warrant or any explanations, punched and kicked Pedram in front of his wife and the owner of the house and took him to the custo-dy. Also, Sheys Amani, a board member of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, was summoned to the Ministry of In-telligence in Sanandaj on April 30th and was interrogated for more than 5 hours. Intelligent agents in this interroga-tion tried to coerce Mr. Amani and his organization to stop their May Day organizing efforts. During the recent days and weeks Reza Amjadi, Kourosh Bakhshandeh, Hamed Mahmoudnejad and Nezaam Sedeghi,

all labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, and Fouad and Aram Zandi, both labour activists in

Sanadaj, along with Manizheh Sadeghi, children’s and women’s rights activist, were arrested and incarcerated by

security and intelligence forces. In addition, Ribwar Abdullahi, labour activist and member of the Coordinating

Committee, was imprisoned on April 11, 2015 after being sentenced to one year in prison; he is currently serving his

prison sentence in Sanandaj.

Yousef Aab-kharabat and Vahed Seyede, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee in Mahabad,

each have been given two years imprisonment and are currently serving their sentence. Hassan Rasoulnejad, another

labor activist and member of the Coordinating Committee have been given one year jail time.

Hadi Tanoomand and Jamal Minashiri , both labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each have

been given 3.5 years prison terms and are awaiting the verdict by the appeal court. Ghasem and Ebrahim

Mostafapour and Mohammad Karimi, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each was

sentenced to 2 years in prison and they are currently awaiting for the Court of Appeal. Jafar Azimzadeh and Jamil

Mohammadi, labour activists and members of the board of the Free Trade Union, have respectively been sentenced

to 6 and 3.5 years in prison. And Farzad Moradinia, another member of the Coordinating Committee, is awaiting a

court verdict.

In recent weeks, the first sentences after the trials against 30 workers following their participation in last year's

protests in Chadormalu Mine have been issued. Five of these workers, who were charged with "disrupting the order

and preventing the rights of others", have been sentenced to a year imprisonment and flogging.

It is also crucial to highlight that a number of other labour activists continue to be incarcerated and persecuted

incessantly. Well-known labour activists in Iran, Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi, have been imprisoned


since June 2011 and Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, another well-known labour activist, have been imprisoned since June

2010. Reza Shahabi, also imprisoned since June 2010, is currently on medical leave due to surgeries and deteriorating

health conditions as the result of the mistreatments he had endured while in prison. Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of

the Tehran Teachers’ Trade Associations, is incarcerated since September 2009.

Many other, lesser known, labour activists across the country are being persecuted and arrested and facing legal

battles and have been faced with various sham charges.

More updates will follow on the situation of the arrestees after May Day.

International Alliance in support of workers in Iran (IASWI)

[email protected]/ http://www.workers-iran.org

A Brief Look at workers’ struggles in Iran in 1393 (March 21, 2014 to March 20, 2015)* Last year was a period of increasing labor protests, struggles and strikes for Iranian workers. Workers’ demands in those protests and strikes could be categorized into six types: 1) Demands for wage increase 2) Demands for payment of wages 3) Protests against expulsions and lay-offs 4) Protests against temporary work contracts, protests against contracting companies and demands for a turning temporary work contracts into permanent, formal work contracts with job security 5) Demands for improvement in work conditions and safety standards on work sites 6) Protests against privatization. Based on a collection of all reported activities (keeping in mind that some protests went on unreported) during last year workers in 365 centers of production or services were engaged in protests, assemblies and strikes. In some of these locations workers were engaged in protests more than once. Keeping in mind the frequency of labor protests in production and service units plus the protests from Teachers, Nurses and Retirees in 2014 the labor movement in Iran witnessed an expansion of protests not only in terms of the numbers and frequency of protests and strikes but also in terms of participants there was a definite increase in number of workers involved in those protests as well. Economic and political context of workers' struggles Increase in workers' protests occurred in a context of ever worsening economic and political conditions and is essentially a reaction to such adverse situation. the main characteristics of these unfavorable circumstances are: - Decreasing purchasing powers of working class families - Decreased job security and an increase in mass lay-offs: Temporary work contracts have dominated the labor markets in Iran in the past decade and they are coupled with closing or partial closing of various factories and service centers. Construction sector has experienced a massive slump and thousands of construction workers remain


unemployed. - A continued absolute lack of Rights for all workers: In 2014 Islamic Republic was violating even the meager legal protections of its own Labor Code and new anti-Labor laws were introduced and implemented. - Worsening of safety conditions on work sites: A lowering of safety standards at work has led to a direct increase in accidents and fatal injuries for workers. - Flagrant repression of all independent workers' organizations and a nation-wide crackdown on any and all attempts to create any autonomous workers formations: All independent labor activists in Iran were subjected to blatant, systematic repression in last year. Labor activists were summoned to appear in courts, have been arrested, incarcerated, violently interrogated, tortured, exiled and in general all workers' initiatives for independent formations have had to pay a very high price for their activism. - Expulsion of protesting workers or imposition of financial fines on labor activists. - Direct intervention of the Judiciary, security and military forces in suppression of workers' protests: There was an increased coordination between management (in public and private sectors)and judiciary, security and the military in crack down of labor protests and imposition of unjust sentences on labor leaders, sending them to jail or exile. - An increase in state sponsored labor activities attempting to displace workers' independent initiatives. Last year state sponsored labor formation tried to obtain international recognition as genuine workers' organizations in Iran. The goals of these state sponsored formations remain the same as before; becoming leaders of workers' protests and diverting the protests. Creating divisions and fissures within workers and labor activists and thus complementing regime's oppressive policies from within the ranks of labor movement in Iran. Participation of Workers' Families in Protests Participation of workers' families and wives was another characteristic of labor struggles in Iran in last year. For instance: - Presence of families for arrested miners in Bafgh Miners' strike. - Workers families in Semnan's Lent Machine factory. - Workers' families activities to release the eight arrested workers in Gilana Tile factory. - Presence of workers' families during assemblies at Yek'o'Yek factory at Khoram Bid. - Gathering of Coal miners wives in front of government office protesting non-payment of wages - Participation of miners families in Khaton Shahr demanding increase in hiring by the company. - Workers' families presence supporting Meter workers in Ghazvin. Workers and issues of Wages Workers' purchasing power continued to decline during last year. The official minimum wages of 609,000 Tomans per month (approximately $200.00) was barely enough for a week’s expenses of an average family of four. Demands


for an increase in wages continued to be a central demand of all workers. Twenty seven production and services centers were engaged specifically for protests demanding wage increases. These protests took on many different form forms. One type of protest was workers boycotting company's food, which was the case for 20,000 auto workers in Iran Khodro auto factories. 220 workers in Jam'jam Aluminum factories of Khorasan and 200 striking workers in Chader'melo also used the same tactic. Strike was also utilized to raise the issue of wage increase. Another method to address the issue of wage increase was workers' assemblies. While some of these assemblies were organized on work sites, there were also pickets and assemblies in front of the Parliament building in Tehran and also in front of Labor ministry in Tehran as well. Workers also resorted to signing petitions and collective letters of protest in addressing the issues of wage increase. Non-payment of wages also continued to be a major problem confronting workers in 2014 (such non-payment also includes nonpayment of benefits, holiday bounces, family bounces, rent-subsidies, and insurance payments). There was a ten percent increase in number of factories involved in such protests compared to the year before. But in terms of number of workers involved in such protests there was an increase of eighty five percent compared to the last year. Workers in 398 production or service units faced the problem of non-payment of wages, in 269 units 83408 workers participated in such protests, but exact information for another 129 units was not provided. In 202 units workers went on strike or had assemblies. Many factories are out of business or working at half capacity due to inability to compete with foreign imports. Cutting off of subsides, especially energy subsidies, also played a big part. In some instances the crisis were manufactured by the state in order to facilitate a speedy process of privatization. The government in Iran remains the biggest employer and also owes owns workers the largest portion of non-paid wages. The state also owes close to a billion dollars (97,000,000,000 Tomans) in social security benefits to workers, but has announced that it will pay only one percent of it in this year. As mentioned before the official minimum wage of 609,000 Tomans per month (approximately $200.00) is way below the poverty line in Iran, yet even this meager amount is also many times underpaid and workers receive only half that amount. Majority of victims in such cases are women workers. Although there's no official, specific statistics covering these under payment of wages, but according to unofficial reports there are millions of workers employed by temporary work contracts, lacking any insurance or benefits subject to under payment of wages. Protests against Mass Lay-Offs There were reports of 81 production or service units closing down in last year, in 57 units 82,000 workers were laid off, there were no specific information for other 24 units. According to a report by Iran's Central Bank from Iran's total population of 77.8 millions 24 millions are actively employed and the rate of unemployment is 10.5 percent. Another report issued by Iran's Center for Statistics unemployment stands at 10.5 percent compromising 2.5 million workers. According to the same report the rate of unemployment for age group between 15 to 24 years old is 25 percent. All these estimates are very conservative figures and the real rate in all probability is much higher than the official versions. Protests against Temporary Work Contracts Ninety three percent of workers in Iran are employed through temporary work contracts. Last year witnessed a decrease in the duration and length of these temporary work contracts. As an instance in the Navard Profile factory in city of Saveh these temporary contracts were reduced from one year to three months and currently stand at a month. But the depths of tragedy is how millions of workers in Iran are employed with no contract what so ever. According to reports from Iranian parliament there are 5 million workers working with no contract. But Minister of Labor Ali Rabieey has put this number at 7 millions. There was a steady increase in expansion of temporary work contracts during last year. 16,000 workers in 32 production or service units protested against temporary work contracts.


Protests against Privatizations The process of privatization was increased during last year. In most cases factories or buildings were privatized and given to individual owners who had no intention of expanding production or services but bought the property with an eye towards selling them as real estate and were only interested in the land and location of the factories. The most outstanding case of protest against privatization in last year was the case of Bafgh Miners involving 5000 workers and their families. (See the article on Bafgh Miners' Strike). There were also many protest concerning housing issues covering a total of 32 protests by various workers' hosing housing cooperatives. Employers’ and government attacks on protesting workers Expulsion of protesting workers: Workers in 40 units were expelled because of their engagement in protests. 313 workers in 39 units were fired, there's no specific information about one unit. Employers also created and maintained a list of all active workers and shared the information on that list with other employers. Judiciary has also played a direct role in opposing workers' protests with calling 104 workers to appear in courts which has resulted in 36 arrests. Security forces on different instances have also worked hand in hand with employers and the judiciary to crack down workers' protests. It should be noted that the direct presence of security forces is in direct contradiction to Islamic Republic's own Labor Code articles 142, 143, and articles 157 to 166; according to all these articles in case of a dispute between workers and employers that ,resolution to the conflict shall be determined by a delegation from the Labor Ministry. However in many work sites that workers were protesting their working conditions were subjected to systematic intimidation tactics. Suppression of independent workers' organizations Independent workers' organizations have always been a main target of authorities in Islamic Republic and last year was no exception. The frontal attacks on workers' independent initiatives in last year included: - Labor Ministry's attempt to impose Islamic Labor Council on Bus Workers' Syndicate of Tehran, despite the blatant illegality if in such move. - Machinations to impose government elements in Retirees' Associations elections. - Preventing the election process in Retiree's Council of Dashtestan. - Refusing to recognize election results of Bakers' Association of Sanandaj due to success of independent candidates. - Creation of parallel organizations to displace independent organization such as government sponsored Reporters' Association. - Arrest and incarceration of workers who participated in independent May 1st events. - Arresting members of "Free Union of Iran" in their homes. - Systematic suppression of all independent labor activists in Kurdistan. Pressuring the families of incarcerated workers - Renewed trial of Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and imposing a sentence of nine and half years on him. - Prosecution of Mehdi Farahi Shandiz and refusing medical leave of absence for treatment of his eyes.


- Continued illegal incarceration of Reza Shahabi - Refusing medical treatment for Mohammad Jarahi. - Continued incarceration of Sharokh Zamani and refusing him temporary leave for his mother's funeral. - Attacking and ransacking Behnam Ebrahimzadeh's house and harassing his wife and teenage son who is ill with Leukemia. Continued Workers' lack of legal protection Workers' total lack of any legal protection continued in last year. Whenever government's own Labor Code was an obstacle in suppression of workers' protests, even those meager protections were dismissed. Last year new "Free Trade Areas" with zero legal protection for workers' rights were created. After the election of "moderate" president Rohani retirement age for men was increased from 60 to 65 and for women from 55 to 60. Increase in job related incidents and fatal injuries There was a steady increase of work related accidents and fatalities on various work sites throughout Iran. Labor ministry last year proposed to have owners of shops with less than 25 employees to provide their own safety officers thus freeing them from any official government oversight. For any work site employing more than 25 workers there's been no change in safety standards Teachers' issues and struggles in 2014 Last year Iran witnessed the first nation-wide, grass-roots protests from teachers in almost every single city in the country. Teachers’ main grievance was low wages. A number of activists and teachers were also arrested during these nationwide protests. Nurses' protests and struggles in 2014 Nurses were also another sector of the work force in Iran which engaged in nationwide protests in last year. Government's response to Nurses' protest was increased tactics of intimidation. Retirees Many retirees had no recourse but to protest for their rights during last year. They included: 80,000 retired Steel Workers from Isfahan and Tehran; 750,000 retired teachers; Postal retirees; 40,000 Railroad retirees. Many retirees from provinces traveled to Tehran and held demonstrations in front of the Parliament to raise attention to their concerns. Women workers As previously mentioned many women workers continue to work without any work contracts, receiving only half the "standard" wages. Women workers are also always the first to be fired in any lay-offs. Women's rate of employment was reduced to under 12 percent but their unemployment rate is above 43 percent. According to official statistics women's rate of unemployment in Iran is two and half times more than the rate of unemployment for men. Last year a third of working women who used maternity leave of absence were subsequently fired from their positions. Specifically from 145,000 women who took off for six months from work due to pregnancy 47,000 were


fired. There are about 5000 cases of grievance by women workers due to such illegal firings. In addition IR's parliament in last year also passed a controversial law further institutionalizing Gender-Apartheid and formally separating women from men at various work sites. Increasing pressures on migrant workers Last year hundreds of thousands of immigrant workers in Iran continued to work with zero legal protection or benefits. Many Afghan workers were officially announced as persona non grata and were subjected to legal persecution solely because of their presence. Tuition fees for many children of immigrant workers were also increased, effectively depriving of any opportunities to continue their education. These blatant racist policies against immigrant workers are also a cause of division amongst workers in Iran. Child Labor in 2014 Last year there was an increase in the number of child laborers in Iran due to increased economic hardship for working class families. According to official figures there are two million child laborers in Iran, but children's rights advocates consider the correct amount to be at least three times more than that around six millions, including children from Afghan and Iraqi families residing in Iran. Many child workers are severely exploited in small shops which are part of the Informal Economy. There are also many reports of widespread child abuse and harassment in those shops. In Tehran some child workers have been seen wearing City Hall issued work uniforms. In addition to child laborers there was also an increase in amount of homeless, street children in Tehran and other cities with totals estimated in tens of thousands. Prepared by: International Alliance in support of workers in Iran (IASWI)

*For the full version of this report in Farsi, please refer to the link below. The above English version is a summary of

“A brief look at the struggles and protests by workers in 1393” which was published in Farsi.

http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com/HTML_2015/28_Farvardin_94_etehad.html

French trade union federations: Arrestations arbitraires à la veille du 1er mai en Iran Le 27 avril 2015, des syndicalistes et activistes du mouvement ouvrier ont été arrêtés arbitrairement et simultanément dans différentes villes en Iran dans le seul but de les empêcher de célébrer le 1Er mai, journée hautement symbolique de défense des droits des travailleurs/ses et de solidarité internationale. Leurs documents et ordinateurs ont été confisqués. Il s’agit notamment de Mahmood Saléhi, Osman Esmaili, Davood Razavi, Ebrahim Madadi. Il faut préciser que depuis l’élection de M.Rouhani et malgré ses promesses de « modération » la répression des activistes des mouvements sociaux et surtout des syndicalistes est devenue plus dure qu’avant. Ces arrestations en apportent une preuve supplémentaire. Nous condamnons fermement ces arrestations et exigeons leur libération immédiate. Paris, le 1er mai 2015 CFDT : Philippe Réau; CGT : Ozlem Yildirim; FSU : Michelle Olivier; Solidaires : Alain Baron; UNSA : Emilie Trigo

http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com/HTML_2015/28_Farvardin_94_etehad.html


US Labor Against the War: To: Supreme leader Ali Khamenei; President Hassan Rouhani; Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani; Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani and Members of the Judiciary and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran I have been informed that in recent days and weeks many workers and labour activists have been detained or summoned by security and intelligence forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I strongly condemn the unjust persecution, detention of and sentences imposed on these labour activists. I condemn the ongoing persecution and arrests of labour activists in Iran including the repression of May Day organizing efforts. All those labor activists who have been detained, imprisoned or otherwise punished as a result of exercising their internationally recognized labor and human rights must be immediately and unconditionally release. All harassment of them must cease. I call upon the Iranian government to respect and fully honor the right of all workers to organize into the union of their choice, elect their own leaders, and negotiate freely in defense of their interests in accord with International Labor Organization conventions and the UN Charter. No society can claim to be either democratic or free if workers do not have freedom of association and free expression in defense of their own interest. Among these workers and labour activists are: Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President, and Davoud Razavi, board member, of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, who were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29, 2015 and transferred to the Evin prison. Mahmoud Salehi, a well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations, and Osman Ismaili, labour activist and spokesperson of the Workers' Defense Committee of Mahabad, respectively were arrested in the cities of Saqez and Mahabad on April 28, 2015. Khaled Hosseini, a labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, have been summoned several times and interrogated by the intelligence agents in the City of Sanandaj. On Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Pedram Nasrollahi, another well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee in the city of Sanandaj, was arrested by plain clothes agents who raided the home of a friend where Pedram and his wife were visiting. According to the Coordinating Committee, the agents, without a warrant or any explanations, punched and kicked Pedram in front of his wife and the owner of the house and took him to the custody. Also, Sheys Amani, a board member of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj on April 30th and was interrogated for more than 5 hours. Intelligent agents in this interrogation tried to coerce Mr. Amani and his organization to stop their May Day organizing efforts During the recent days and weeks Reza Amjadi, Kourosh Bakhshandeh, Hamed Mahmoudnejad and Nezaam Sedeghi, all labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, and Fouad and Aram Zandi, both labour activists in Sanadaj, along with Manizheh Sadeghi, children’s and women’s rights activist, were arrested and incarcerated by security and intelligence forces. In addition, Ribwar Abdullahi, labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, was imprisoned on April 11, 2015 after being sentenced to one year in prison; he is currently serving his prison sentence in Sanandaj. Yousef Aab-kharabat and Vahed Seyede, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee in Mahabad, each have been given two years imprisonment and are currently serving their sentence. Hassan Rasoulnejad, another labor activist and member of the Coordinating Committee have been given one year jail time. Hadi Tanoomand and Jamal Minashiri , both labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each have been given 3.5 years prison terms and are awaiting the verdict by the appeal court. Ghasem and Ebrahim Mostafapour and Mohammad Karimi, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each was sentenced to 2 years in prison and they are currently awaiting for the Court of Appeal. Jafar Azimzadeh and Jamil Mohammadi, labour activists and members of the board of the Free Trade Union, have respectively been sentenced to 6 and 3.5 years in prison. And Farzad Moradinia, another member of the Coordinating Committee, is awaiting a court verdict.


In recent weeks, the first sentences after the trials against 30 workers following their participation in last year's protests in Chadormalu Mine have been issued. Five of these workers, who were charged with "disrupting the order and preventing the rights of others", have been sentenced to a year imprisonment and flogging. It is also crucial to highlight that a number of other labour activists continue to be incarcerated and persecuted incessantly. Well-known labour activists in Iran, Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi, have been imprisoned since June 2011 and Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, another well-known labour activist, have been imprisoned since June 2010. Reza Shahabi, also imprisoned since June 2010, is currently on medical leave due to surgeries and deteriorating health conditions as the result of the mistreatments he had endured while in prison. Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Tehran Teachers’ Trade Associations, is incarcerated since September 2009. End these gross violations of labor and human rights. End the persecution and prosecution of workers for trying to exercise their rights. Respect freedom of association and expression in Iran. Respectfully yours, Michael Eisenscher National Coordinator U.S. Labor Against the War http://uslaboragainstwar.org

University workers’ strike in Toronto and its significance Throughout the month of March 2015, IASWI- Canada issued solidarity messages and participated in a series of community forums and solidarity actions, including the formation of a parents’ support group, in support of Canadian Union of Public Employees, Locals 3903 and 3902 (striking education workers at York U and U of T). A number of our members and allies were engaged actively (as strikers, students and parents) in these strike actions. These strikes were not only for better working conditions, increased wages and job security but also against governments’ neo-liberal agendas and years of austerity measures. Workers and students share the same demands. We all want accessible and affordable public and post-secondary education; however, as a result of the growing inequality in Canada and around the world access to post-secondary education has become increasingly expensive and inaccessible for working class families. Toronto, for instance, has become completely divided in terms of income and equitable opportunities, and the racialization of poverty is a serious challenge facing hundreds of thousands of families. Neo-liberal policies imposed by different levels of government throughout the years have been major factors in creation of this unacceptable situation. What we see in Toronto is in fact part and parcel of an agenda produced and perpetuated by the pro capitalist governments globally. Workers and their families, including university students, have no choice but to confront these exploitative and oppressive policies and systems. Workers, students and parents need to stand in solidarity with our fellow workers in education sector and fight back for better future for all. As the result of the striking workers’ perseverance and firm positions both universities had to yield to their demands, especially at York University where the administration ended up accepting many of the union’s demands. In Solidarity, International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran- Canada Branch May 2015

http://uslaboragainstwar.org/


Sample Protest letter:

To: Supreme leader Ali Khamenei; President Hassan Rouhani; Speaker of Parliament Ali Larijani; Chief Justice Sadeq Larijani ad Members of the Judiciary and Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran RE: Arbitrary arrests on the eve of May 1 in Iran. Free all imprisoned workers

We have been informed that in recent days and weeks many workers and labour activists in Iran have been detained or summoned by Iranian security and intelligence forces. The details are listed below for your attention. We strongly condemn the unjust persecution, detention of and sentences imposed on these labour activists. We condemn the ongoing persecution and arrests of labour activists in Iran including the repression of May Day organizing efforts. All those labour activists who have been detained, imprisoned or otherwise punished as a result of exercising their internationally recognized labor and human rights must be immediately and unconditionally released. All harassment of them must cease. We call upon the Iranian government to respect and fully honor the right of all workers to organize into the organization of their choice, elect their own representatives, and negotiate freely in defense of their interests and the right to strike. …. Information about arrestees: Ebrahim Madadi, Vice-President, and Davoud Razavi, board member, of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, were arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, April 29, 2015 and transferred to the Evin prison. Mahmoud Salehi, a well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee to Help Form Workers’ Organizations, and Osman Ismaili, labour activist and spokesperson of the Workers' Defense Committee of Mahabad, respectively were arrested in the cities of Saqez and Mahabad on April 28, 2015. Moreover, on Wednesday, April 29, 2015, Pedram Nasrollahi, another well-known labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee in the city of Sanandaj, was arrested by plain clothes agents who raided the home of a friend where Pedram and his wife were visiting. According to the Coordinating Committee, the agents, without a warrant or any explanations, punched and kicked Pedram in front of his wife and the owner of the house and took him to the custody. Also, Sheys Amani, a board member of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, was summoned to the Ministry of Intelligence in Sanandaj on April 30th and was interrogated for more than 5 hours. Intelligent agents in this interrogation tried to coerce Mr. Amani and his organization to stop their May Day organizing efforts During the recent days and weeks Reza Amjadi, Kourosh Bakhshandeh (just released on a heavy bail), Hamed Mahmoudnejad and Nezaam Sedeghi, all labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, and Fouad and Aram Zandi, both labour activists in Sanadaj, along with Manizheh Sadeghi, children’s and women’s rights activist, were arrested and incarcerated by security and intelligence forces. In addition, Ribwar Abdullahi, labour activist and member of the Coordinating Committee, was imprisoned on April 11, 2015 after being sentenced to one year in prison; he is currently serving his prison sentence in Sanandaj. Yousef Aab-kharabat and Vahed Seyede, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee in Mahabad, each have been given two years imprisonment and are currently serving their sentence. Hassan Rasoulnejad, another labor activist and member of the Coordinating Committee have been given one year jail time. Hadi Tanoomand and Jamal Minashiri , both labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each have been given 3.5 years prison terms and are awaiting the verdict by the appeal court. Ghasem and Ebrahim Mostafapour and Mohammad Karimi, labour activists and members of the Coordinating Committee, each was sentenced to 2 years in prison and they are currently awaiting for the Court of Appeal. Jafar Azimzadeh and Jamil Mohammadi, labour activists and members of the board of the Free Trade Union, have respectively been sentenced


to 6 and 3.5 years in prison. And Farzad Moradinia, another member of the Coordinating Committee, is awaiting a court verdict. In recent weeks, the first sentences after the trials against 30 workers following their participation in last year's protests in Chadormalu Mine have been issued. Five of these workers, who were charged with "disrupting the order and preventing the rights of others", have been sentenced to a year imprisonment and flogging. It is also crucial to highlight that a number of other labour activists continue to be incarcerated and persecuted incessantly. Well-known labour activists in Iran, Shahrokh Zamani and Mohammad Jarahi, have been imprisoned since June 2011 and Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, another well-known labour activist, have been imprisoned since June 2010. Reza Shahabi, also imprisoned since June 2010, is currently on medical leave due to surgeries and deteriorating health conditions as the result of the mistreatments he had endured while in prison. Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the Tehran Teachers’ Trade Associations, is incarcerated since September 2009. To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] Cc: [email protected]

iaswi newsletter, workers in iran, vol 5, no 1, may 8, 2015

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