[Marxism] Tehran Transit Union leaders arrested

["Mahmood ketabchi" <mekchi@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tehran Bus Workers' Protest - Update 11, Thursday 26 January 2006

 

Six members of Tehran's bus workers' union executive arrested as workers call 
for a strike

 

As we reported, following the call for a strike for this Saturday (28 Jan), six 
members of the executive of the bus workers' union were summoned to appear 
before court on Thursday. The six arrived at the court and were interrogated 
until this evening. However, they were then detained.

 

Including Mansoor Ossanlou, the head of the union, who has been in prison for 
over a month, a total of 7 members of the executive of the bus workers' union 
are now in prison. They are:

 

Mansoor Ossanlou, Ebrahim Madadi, Davoud Razavi, Saeed Torabian, Mansoor Hayat 
Gheibi, Abdolreza Tarazi and Ali Zadeh Hossein

 

Several other members of the union executive have also been summoned, but they 
have refused to comply.

 

Meanwhile in an interview this evening with the state broadcaster IRNA, 
Tehran's Mayor Ghalibaf described the bus workers' union as 'illegal', and 
indirectly threatened to prevent the strike from taking place. The state radio 
too described the workers as 'counter-revolutionaries' and 'saboteurs'. The 
government is also spreading rumours that 10,000 vigilante state-hired mob 
known as Baseej are preparing to break the strike.

 

These workers are in prison because they have dared to set up a union to unite 
the workers and defend their rights. Their crime is to demand decent pay, 
reinstatement of sacked workers and introduction of collectively negotiated 
contracts.

 

The regime is preparing for a major show-down. It is bent on stopping the 
strike through arrests, intimidation and threats. It is aiming to smash the 
workers' union.

 

However, the morale and unity among the 17,000 employees of the state-owned 
Vahed Bus Company is very high. They have vowed to go ahead with their strike 
this Saturday until the release of their jailed colleagues, recognition of 
their union and the meeting of all their demands. Throughout their protest, 
they have enjoyed the warm backing of the residents of the capital, workers in 
many other sectors and a large number of labour organisations around the world.

 

The Worker-communist Party of Iran (WPI) has called on the people of Tehran, 
the workers in all sectors, the students, and labour and progressive 
organisations around the world to lend their unreserved support to the bus 
workers at this crucial stage of their struggle. International solidarity is 
vital for the success of the protest.

 

Shahla Daneshfar, Co-ordinator of the International Labour Solidarity Committee 
of the Worker-communist Party of Iran, said:

 

"At stake is not only the fate of the bus workers, their demands and their 
union, but the fundamental, universally fought-for and recognised right of all 
workers to freely organise and strike; rights for which generations of workers 
have fought bitterly and even given up their lives. The brave bus workers of 
Tehran should not be left alone. They deserve the wholehearted support of the 
world working class and progressive humanity".

 

Show your support for the bus workers by publishing the news of the protest, by 
protesting at the anti-labour policies of the regime in Iran in the strongest 
possible terms, by calling for the immediate release of all the jailed 
activists and by donating to the workers' strike fund.

 

Protest letters may be sent to the various authorities of the Islamic Republic 
of Iran, including the President at dr-ahmadinejad@xxxxxxxxxxxx<about:blank> . 

 

Please forward copies of your letters, messages and bulletins to us for 
distribution to the workers and the public in Iran. 

 

Please make your donations to Tehran Bus Workers' Strike Fund at the bank 
account below and notify us at the same time:

 

Acct no: 400 11 845 429

Nordea Bank, Sweden

 

All contributions will be immediately acknowledged.

 

 

End.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

International Labour Solidarity Committee of the
Worker-communist Party of Iran
Co-ordinator: Shahla Daneshfar (shahla_daneshfar@xxxxxxxxx<about:blank>)

Public Relations: Bahram Soroush (b.soroush@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx<about:blank>)

www.wpiran.org<about:blank>   www.kargaran.org<about:blank>   
www.newchannel.tv<about:blank>   www.rowzane.com<about:blank>  



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For info. check this website:  
http://labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Iran<http://labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Iran>
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