Highlights and News-Workers’ Struggles in Iran

Thursday 15 November 2007

Highlights and News-Workers’ Struggles in Iran

1- Sugarcane workers’ representatives are released on bail
2- Support a Week of Action in Support of Iran’s Labour Movement

November 24-30, 2007

1- According to a report by the Committee in Defense of Mahmoud Salehi, the two representatives of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Factory have now been released on 10 million toman (about $10,000) bail for each. Mr. Ghorban Alipour was released on November 15th and Mohammad Heydari Mehr was released on November 14th. These labour activists have been charged with “acting against national security”, “acting against the establishment” and “conducting interviews with foreign radios and media”.

2- A Call for a Week of Action in Support of Iran’s Labour Movement

November 24-30, 2007

The recent extended wave of suppression against the well-known activists of workers’ organizations in Iran and other social movements is not a new incident but a routine practice of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). This wave of repression nevertheless consists of particular characteristics which include the radicalization and development of class-based labour protests, progressing social movements within the specific socio-economic context, and pressures from both within the country and internationally. These conditions have jeopardized the entirety of Islamic Republic of Iran. Social and economic crisis are rapidly escalating.

It is a proven fact that the promises of the capitalist regime of Iran are false and that this regime has brought nothing but the continuous oppression of working people. This regime has caused ever-increasing poverty and misery for working class.

In an international context, the threats of military actions and the economic sanctions imposed by the warmongering capitalist states led by the United States have seriously imposed a grave danger upon the people of Iran, especially the poor and the deprived masses. At the same time, these threats have been used by IRI to severely suppress and silent the workers’ movement and all other social struggles. The IRI uses the existing crisis against people of Iran to its advantage. It deceitfully acts as if the pressures from the imperialist countries are the cause of protests inside Iran and attempts to depict the social protesters as the agents of foreigners. That is why false accusations such as “acting against national security” have been declared against activists and detainees throughout the last few months.

The capitalist regime of Islamic Republic of Iran engages in fear mongering and intimidation in addition to arrests and imprisonments to crush all collective struggles to form independent organizations of workers, women, students, teachers, writers, and oppressed ethnic communities as well as other social and legal rights’ advocates. The regime is determined to stop the development of grassroots organizing and to impose on people an absolute hopelessness towards a revolutionary change in our society.

Given such a context, we, the activists of Iranian workers’ movement abroad, declare that we not only expose the inhuman and reactionary nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran, but we also strongly condemn any war and militaristic policy and strategy and economic sanctions imposed by the capitalist states of the world which would have catastrophic consequences for workers and disadvantaged people of Iran. We further emphasize the claims by the capitalist and the imperialist states that they intend to support progressive movements including the Iranian labour movement are totally false and that we will strive to reveal their true intentions.

We condemn the assassination of Majid Hamidi, and the arrest of labour activists of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company and all charges against them, as well as that of Sanandaj workers and all other incarcerated students, women, teachers, writers and ethnic minorities. We demand unconditional freedom of Mahmoud Salehi, Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi and the immediate release of incarcerated workers of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company. We demand annulment of all jail time and the lash sentences against workers in Kurdistan and an end to harassment and legal persecution of workers’ activists. We call for equal rights for all migrant workers in Iran, including workers from Afghanistan. We believe refugee workers should be legally accepted in all countries.

Solidarity with imprisoned workers and the struggle to free all political prisoners who are jailed because they have been striving towards workers’ liberation is an ongoing responsibility of all genuine defenders of progressive social movements around the world.

We encourage all labour and trade union activists and labour, socialist and progressive organizations and parties around the world to participate actively in a week of action in solidarity with Iranian workers’ movement, especially with the workers behind the bars. We will try organizing various actions and solidarity nights, contacting other organizations and parties, to arrange information desks and to get media attention in cities and countries where we live in order to get our message heard.

A Week of Action in Support of Workers in Iran

November 24-30, 2007

Long Live Workers’ International Solidarity!

Participating organizations in the week of action include:

1- Committee of Solidarity with the Iranian Workers - Australia

2- Committee in Support of Workers in Iran – Toronto, Canada

3- Association of Solidarity with the Iranian Workers – Norway

4- A Group of Progressive Workers in Exile – Switzerland

5- Committee of Socialist Solidarity with Iranian Workers – France

6- Association of Solidarity with Iranian Workers – Köln, Germany

7- Association of Solidarity with Iranian Workers – Frankfurt and Suburb, Germany

8- Association of Solidarity with Iranian Workers – Hanover, Germany

9- Committee of Solidarity with Iranian Workers – Hamburg, Germany

10- Solidarity Group with the Labour Movement-Berlin-Germany

11- Iranian and Swedish Workers’ Solidarity Committee

12- The solidarity center with Iranian workers, Guttenberg, Sweden

13- International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran

Translated and distributed in Canada by:

Committee in Support of Workers in Iran – Toronto, Canada

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran- Canada Branch

For more information, please contact info@workers-iran.org or

alliance@workers-iran.org. www.workers-iran.org.