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May 13, 2005 Workers of Tehran Public Transit rallied in front of their Union office to support their Union.Workers and drivers of Tehran Public Transit demonstrated in front of their newly organized Union today to support their Union and the leaders and organizers of the Union who were attacked and beaten by Hezbollah and Islamic Labour Councils’ thugs last week. They demanded organizing of their general assembly to condemn the Hezbollah’s attacks on their representatives. They also demanded permanent establishment of their Union which has been joined by 4000 transit workers so far, in spite of intimidations and restrictions imposed by the Islamic Authorities. One of the Public Transit Union’s leaders recited article 87 of the International Labour Organization’s Convention (ILO) in which all signing countries, including Iran, recognized labours’ organizations; then, he on behalf of the Union complained and condemned the recent events in which the leaders and organizers were beaten and their Union was attacked and sabotaged by Hezbollah from the Islamic Labour Councils and the Labour House (official state organizations to control the labours’ movement). According to Ilna Press, Police and the Islamic authorities, who were attended the rally, did not let the workers to organize their general assembly. One of the organizers told Ilna Press that they were supposed to organize their general assembly today to pass the articles of establishment of their organization and to vote for the board of directors and elect public accountants. He said: the organizers of Tehran Public Transit Union will try to get legitimate guaranties for organizing the general assembly without being harassed or attacked by thugs. According to Ilna Press, Police intruded and negotiated with one of the organizers to finish the rally; then workers ended their demonstration. Mahmood Ghazvini Mahmoud Ghazvini Campaign in defence of Bus company workers in Iran11-05-2005 Support Bus Workers in IranOn Monday May 9, 2005, a mob of about 300 thugs of Labour House and Islamic Councils raided the meeting place of the newly formed Union of Bus Workers of Sherkat Vahed in Tehran. They smashed windows and doors, tore up documents and attacked Union members. The raid took place in presence of the Islamic Republic’s Security Forces. During this attack, Mr Mansoor Osanlo was hit so badly that he needed stitches to his tongue and neck at the hospital, before being taken away for questioning by the Security Forces. Although they had taken a more covered-up approach in the recent years, the Labour House and Islamic Councils thugs are well known in Iran for their role in suppression of workers. This time again with the formation of an organisation, the thugs attacked workers with batons and knives. Among the mob there were such people as Hasan Sadeghi (Head of Co-ordinating committee of Islamic Councils of the County), Akbar Eyvazi (Labour House), Hasan Bahrami, Eskandar Nasiri, Mahdavi Khah, Alireza Ahmadi, Sarvandi and Jalal Saeed Manesh (from the Islamic Council of Sherkat Vahed bus company) and Amani (Security of Sherkat Vahed). The thugs of Islamic Councils and Labour House were widely used in early years of the Islamic Republic’s rule whenever the Islamic Republic considered them more appropriate than Security Forces to confront workers. The use of thugs so openly, indicates that the regime does not see direct confrontation with workers in its benefit. The Campaign in Defence of Union of Sherkat Vahed Bus Company intends to gather wide scale support for the bus workers. We urge all Trade Unions, Human Rights and workers’ organisations to support bus workers, and put pressure on the ILO to enlist the Labour House and the Islamic Councils as anti-worker organisations. Mahmood Ghazvini Mahmoud Ghazvini Please send your protest letters to: Mr. Seyed Mohammad Khatami Please send a copy of your protest letters to: The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) International Labour Organization (ILO) More informationIran, May 10, 2005 - In an attack on the weekly meeting of the Founding Committee for Reviving the Syndicate of the Workers of Tehran Bus Company“ (Sandikaye kargarane sherkate vahed), the office of Bakery Workers Syndicate- the meeting place- was subject to heavy destructions. The Founding Committee for Reviving the Syndicate of the Workers of Tehran Bus Company, one of the largest employers in Iran, have been meeting every Monday morning and Friday afternoon in the building of the bakery workers union, located in Hassanabad circle, Imam Khomeini Avenue, Khayyam Alley. On the morning of May 9, 2005, having heard the rumors concerning an attack on the syndicate’s weekly meeting, the leaders had notified the local police station, and the police were present there until thirty minutes past noon. Around 2:00 p. m., several well-known figures of the Workers House and Islamic Labour Councils, including Hassan Sadeghi (Secretary of the High Centre of Islamic Labour Councils), Ahmadi Panjaki (member of the High Centre of Islamic Councils), Hamze’I (a high ranking member of the Worker’s House), and Eyvazi (responsible for Worker’s House-Tehran East and member of the Islamic Labour Council of Sherkate Vahed), Mahdavikhah and several others who were all members of the various regional Islamic labour Councils, accompanied by members of Basij (the paramilitary group funded by the Iranian government) and the security section of the Sherkate Vahed attacked the union meeting. At this time there were only a few plain clothes police men remaining there, who did nothing to stop the attackers, whose numbers were about 300. They had been brought up to the scene by over 12 buses. The attackers carried placards saying unions are devilish and anti-labour. The leaders and members of the union tried to call the police for help when Mr. Panjaki threw the phone out of the window and into the street, and several members were severely beaten. During the attack, a member of the syndicate, Mr. Mansoor Ossanloo (employee of the Tehran Bus Company in area 7 with 20 years seniority- In March has received suspension order because of his union activities and he is facing expulsion) was badly wounded and taken to the hospital. He was attacked by a knife by Jalal Saidmanesh (member of the Islamic Labour Council of Shekate Vahed) while had been hold by Hassan Sadeghi. He has been hospitalized with many stitches in his tongue and neck. Mr. Ebrahim Madadi (Technical worker, area 2 who is also facing disciplinary actions and compulsory transfers) and several other union activists were also beaten. Meanwhile a motorbike and a number of the workers’ personal belongings, including one wallet and some clothing have gone missing. The member of the Syndicate have filed a complaint with the police. The police has said to investigate the matter but at the same time they had confiscated the cameras of reporters at the scene. It is absolutely crucial for the international labour movement to strongly condemn this assault into the office of the bakers’ syndicates and the beating and injuring of the Tehran Bus Company’s workers. The international labour movement should not in any way condone this action or to keep quiet about it. This could just the beginning of more of these kinds of attacks by violent government agents such as the Workers House and the paramilitary groups such as the Basij. Background information: The Founding Committee for Reviving the Syndicate of the Workers of Tehran Bus Company“ has been formed in recent years to revive the union’s activities. This union was active until 1985. During the early to mid 1980s all independent labour organizations were violently attacked and shut down by the government and the current leadership of Workers’ House and Islamic labour council (such as Aliereza Mahjoub, the head of Workers House and Hassan Sadeghi the head of the High Centre). The Iranian government does not recognize the fundamental rights of workers to organize themselves into organizations of their choice. As we have been emphasizing for many years, The Workers House and the Islamic labour councils are anti-workers puppets of the Iranian government. The Islamic Labour Council of Vahed Bus Company in Tehran, who is not supported by workers and independent labour activists, has been campaigning against the syndicate. The syndicate has been recruiting membership and it currently has over 1000 members. The Syndicate had also requested that the Labour Ministry acknowledge its formation but their demands had been ignored and recently got denied by the Labour Ministry. Following is more related news, which gives detailed information about the events that led to this attack. Member of the Islamic Council of Vahed Bus Company in Tehran: The activity of the Syndicate of Vahed Company is illegal and should be banned. This grouplet is using the workers for political aims. Tehran - ILNA News Agency, 10/2. 1384 (April 30, 2005) According to the Labour Legislation, in every industrial/service unit, only one form of organisation can operate and given the existence of the Islamic council, any other organisation is illegal. According to ILNA’s Labour reporter, Ali Akbar Ayvazi, member of the Islamic Shora in Vahed Bus Company Tehran said: “recently, under the influence of people who have no interest in gaining workers rights, but who follow political aims, some of the workers in Tehran Bus Company has left the correct path of trade union activities. By stressing that the pretenders of setting up a syndicate aim to divide the workers, he added: “for this reason, in correspondence with worker/management committee of the Ministry of labour, he has emphasised that as long as the Islamic Shora exists, the activities of any other workers organisation in Vahed Bus Company will be illegal. The executive secretary of Workers House (Khaneh Kargar), Tehran East then went on to analyse the activities of those aiming to set up a syndicate and said: “the person who claims leading these efforts has a history of political activity and was then expelled from Vahed Bus company and his record exists and now he wants to poison the work environment in the country and by raising extremist slogans against the authorities he wants to set up a workers organisation in support of his political aims. He added: A review of the meetings of this organisation show that trade union activities have been put aside and in his speeches he criticises government organisations, legal authorities and other state organs. He added, in the current sensitive situation, raising slogans deviating from issues, encouraging employees to stop work, do go slows… will cost the country dearly. If these people are after workers demands, why don’t they follow the rational, legal routes of raising these trade union demands instead of reviving irrational political issues and demands? Pointing out that it costs 4000 tomans to join this syndicate and then a monthly payment of 2000 tomans, he said: “it isn’t clear why they need workers to pay form their pockets for their trade union activity. If this grouplet wants to do something effective for workers why can’t they point out one case when their activities have achieved something for workers? Eyvazi added: it is better that this toiling layer does not get involved in questionable political activities and does not divert from trade activities, because by raising political issues, they enter the arena of illegal activity and they face legal consequences of such meddling. Calling the slogans of this group as deceitful he said workers wanting their rights should follow the legal route and address legal workers organisations. Eiwazi stressed a the end of his talk that: according to the law, the activity of any individual under the word ‘syndicate’ is clearly illegal (according to the Ministry of Labour’s legislation) and it is better of individuals violating this law, give up before problems arise for this illegal grouplet. |