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Wed 2 Nov 2005 Workers’ rep released as management pledges to meet demandsIn a show of solidarity, yesterday (1 Nov) 300 workers of Kurdistan Textile Company forced the authorities to release their representative, Mr Farshid Beheshti Zad, after warning to break off all talks. In the negotiations that followed with the full team of six workers’ reps, the management and government officials said they would meet all the demands except payment of wages for the strike period. However, the workers are insistent on this demand and a general assembly of workers is due to meet today, Wednesday, to decide on the next course of action. Since 24th September several hundred workers of Kurdistan Textile Company, located in the outskirts of the city of Sanandaj, in western Iran, have been battling the management and police in support of a series of demands. A strike committee of workers has set out the demands as ranging from payment of overdue wages, withdrawal of arbitrary contracts, reinstatement of sacked workers, job grading and annual health checks to improvement in health and safety, payment of a minimum wage of $550/month for sacked workers and return of money (already deducted from salaries) to the workers’ co-op credit fund. Since the start of the strike, the management has used the security forces to try to break the strike. Last Monday Captain Javad Akbari and 12 other officers entered the factory and read out the names of 10 workers who were to be arrested as ‘trouble makers’. The workers frustrated their attempts by collectively identifying themselves as the named workers and booed the security forces out of the plant. Throughout the strike the workers have held regular general assemblies to add strength to their action. In January the workers of this company led a successful 16-day strike, receiving widespread support in Iran and internationally. Bahram Soroush Shiva Mahbobi |