Four global union organisations representing over 170 million workers have called a worldwide action day on June 26 to demand justice for Iranian workers. Demonstrations will take place outside Iranian embassies and consulates to protest the ongoing denial of rights and arrests of trade unionists within the country.

Note: U.S. Labor Against the War will soon make available an on-line letter to the Iranian government in support of the jailed workers.  It will demand:
  • The immediate and unconditional release of all imprisoned trade unionists including Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi and Farzad Kamangar;
  • Unconditional recognition of all independent workers' organisations in Iran and reinstatement of workers who have been disadvantaged as a result of their support for these organisations;
  • Ratification of core ILO Conventions on freedom of association and the right to collective bargain by the Iranian government;
  • Conclusion of collective bargaining agreements between the independent unions and the relevant employers and reinstatement of unfairly dismissed workers.
The letter will be circulated as part of the International Day of Action in Solidarity with Iranian Workers on June 26, 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 for the event, which is the latest move in an ongoing campaign to secure justice and trade union rights inside Iran. Amnesty International has backed this campaign.

They are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of jailed trade union members and leaders including Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi, Farzad Kamangar, and the annulment of the one year prison sentences recently handed down against the five leaders of the Haft Tapeh Sugarworkers’ Union, as well as the release of trade unionists arrested in Tehran on May Day.

Guy Ryder, ITUC General Secretary explained: “Each of these organisations has campaigned to protect their colleagues in Iran, and now we are all joining forces to do it even more effectively.”

“We have exhausted all avenues of reasonable dialogue to persuade the government of Iran to allow basic human and trade union rights. Their answer has been repression and arrests. Given this failure we must take to the streets to demonstrate that the world is watching what they are doing and what is happening to our colleagues within the country.”

For more details please contact

ITF Press officer, Sam Dawson. Tel: +44 (0)20 7940 9260. Email: Dawson_sam@itf.org.uk

ITUC Press Officer, Mathieu Debroux. Tel: +32(0)2 22 40 204. Email: mathieu.debroux@ituc-csi.org

EI Press officer, Nancy Knickerbocker, Tel: +32 (0)2 22 40 611. Email: Nancy.knickerbocker@ei-ie.org

IUF Press officer, Peter Rossman. Email: iuf@iuf.org

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