JUNE 26th 2009 The ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), EI (Education International), ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation), IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations) are forming a coalition in an ongoing campaign to secure justice and trade union rights inside Iran. Amnesty International has backed this campaign. http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/show.php?id=1032&theme=rights&country=iran VICTORY The strike of the Iran Khodro workers to get their unpaid wages and convert temporary contracts to permanent ones ends in victory Last week the workers of Iran Khodro were successful with their glorious strike which started in the assembly hall and continued in the shuttle (body) hall and ended with the press hall strike. The workers’ immediate demands were payment of their unpaid wages (productivity and last year’s production record bonuses) and to switch workers on temporary contracts to contracts of the Iran Khodro Company itself. At first the new management of Iran Khodro would not pay the productivity and production record bonuses and postponed paying the wages for Farvardin [the first Iranian month, 21 March-20 April]. When faced with the workers’ protest, it paid the wages to stop the protest spreading. But the workers announced that the time for waiting was over and that to reach their demands they had decided to go on strike. Once the managers, who had recently come to the Company, grasped the seriousness of a strike starting, 150 thousand tomans [£97,395; $154,353; €111,086] was paid into the workers’ accounts within a few hours. But not only did the strike not die down it spread from the assembly hall until it reached the shuttle hall and the production lines - they all came to a halt. It was not night-time yet when all the production record bonuses were paid into workers’ accounts. And the workers showed that if they are together, once again, they can stand up to any power. Another victory All the contract workers on the production lines in Iran Khodro will be leaving contractors' companies and be signed up by Iran Khodro itself. When on May 2 the Industry Minister, who had the mobilised forces supporting him in the Azadi [Freedom] Stadium for a Labour Day ceremony, was silent and ignored [the fact] that hundreds of workers had been arrested on International Labour Day, he was confronted by the shouts of workers calling for the lying minister to resign. They wanted an end to temporary contracts. Then the minister announced that he will keep his promise and that he had told managers under the Ministry’s authority, to give a section of workers permanent contracts before the election. After that the new [Iran Khodro] management’s notice announced the names of a few thousand workers who were getting [permanent contracts] as part of this public commitment, but the names of the press [hall workers], who are under contract from the PGI contractor, were not among them. After this issue [came to light] the workers of the press hall brought the production lines to a standstill and gathered in front of the management office. The strike continued from the morning to the evening shifts, but before it was time for the night shift, management announced that all workers will be covered by the public commitment. And another victory for the workers of Iran Khodro was chalked up. Iran Khodro workers 18 May 2009 Translated by Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network http://www.iwsn.org/labour/iran-khodro-victory-may2009.htm
MAY DAY DETAINEES UPDATE Five of the women activists arrested on May Day have finally been released After 14 days, with the [growing] pressure of public opinion, five more people arrested on May Day, International Labour Day, have been released. Yesterday, May 13, five women - Sharifeh Mohammadi, Fatemeh Shahnazari, Samiyeh Navab, Fatemeh Eghdami and Nasrin Rajavi - who were arrested in Tehran's Laleh Park on International Labour Day, were released on bail. Currently there are nine women in the methadone hall and one woman in the public wing of Evin prison. The charges against those arrested include propaganda against the [Islamic Republic’s] system - a charge they have rejected. The women have so far been interrogated three times and the last interrogation was very harsh and prolonged, lasting from 3pm until 10pm. The families of the arrested women were told that bail had been set for all of them but just five have been given the legal notice. It should be mentioned that there is no information about the arrested men and that they have not been in contact with their families. The Pursuit Committee for the Formation of Free Labour Organisations, while congratulating these civil activists on their release and wishing them happiness, demands the immediate and unconditional release of the rest of the International Labour Day detainees. Pursuit Committee for the Formation of Free Labour Organisations 14 May 2009 http://www.iwsn.org/campaigns/hands-off-shiva-sobhani.htm ++++++++++++++++++++++++ http://www.rebelion.org/ Manuel Garcia, Jr. can be reached at mango@idiom.com http://dissidentvoice.org/2009/05/nuclear-or-solar-energy/ http://www.counterpunch.org/garcia05062009.html |
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Industrial Workers of the WorldOne Big Union for All |
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An Injury to One is an Injury to All
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Iran workers international alliance in support of