Tehran bus workers: eight more arrests

Submitted by AWL on 19 July, 2006 - 7:40

From the International Labour Solidarity Committee of the Worker-communist party of Iran: The news we have received from Tehran indicates that at around 9 AM on July 15, 2006 sacked Tehran bus workers assembled in front of the Tehran Provincial Labour Office to protest their situation and to follow up on their demand of returning to work.

They were fired in the wake of Vahed workers’ strike 7 months ago, which was brutally quelled by the regime. Amongst over 150 protesters that came together in this organized protest action, the presence of several family members of Vahed workers side by side with families of workers from other labour branches was outstanding.

The regime’s forces of oppression, twice as many as the protesters, were present on the spot before the protestors arrived. Despite the presence of forces, among them Special Guards and The Security Force, the workers and their families went on to gather and to cry out their demands as planned. They were asked to introduce a group of representatives in order to meet and negotiate with the Deputy Labour Minister. So the workers sent in Ebrahim Madadi, Yaqub Salimi, Ebrahim Gowhari, and Davud Razavi as their elected negotiators.

The rest of the workers and their families were then told by the forces of the regime to disperse, as their representatives were now engaged in negotiations; and that they would be in great trouble if they did not obey the order. The workers and their families, however, did not heed these threats. But security force’s threats and pressures mounted continuously. After an hour or so the workers were again ordered to leave, as their representatives "had finished their business". Workers again remained unmoved. It was about 1 PM that the protestors were finally dispersed and forced to leave, while declaring loud and clear that they would continue to follow up on their demand through future protest actions. Aside from attacking the workers, the forces arrested five of them, by the names of Ata Babakhani, Nasser Qolami, Manuchehr Mahdavitabar, Seyed-Reza Ne’matipur, and Hosein shahsavari. At the same time the news reached the crowd that their representatives had also been arrested and transported to Base 8 of the Ministry of Intelligence. The report we have received also indicates that a warrant has been issued by three judges to arrest the entire board of directors of the Vahed Trade Union.

We strongly condemn this attack on Vahed workers’ assembly, and demand the immediate release of Mansur Osanlu, the chairman of Vahed Trade Union, together with the eight lately arrested workers; namely, Messrs. Ebrahim Madadi, Yaqub Salimi, Ebrahim Gowhari, Hosein Shahsavari, Ata Babakhani, Nasser Qolami, Manuchehr Mehditabar, and Seyed-Reza Ne’matipur

We call on all labour organizations throughout the world to protest today’s attack on the assembly of Vahed workers and the detention of eight of them, as well as the orders for the arrest of the board of directors of the Vahed Union.

We campaign for the formation of an international labour solidarity to support the struggles of Vahed and all other workers in Iran. We struggle to put pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran to immediately and unconditionally release Mansur Osanlu together with those arrested today as well as all political prisoners in Iran.

Please support the workers in Iran through writing protest letters and any other means you see fit.

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