Five French Trade Unions: The Iranian Government Was Responsible for the Tabas Mine Disaster

The "French Trade Union Collective," comprising five trade unions in France, condemned the "Tabas Mine Disaster," which resulted in the deaths of 52 workers following an explosion in the mine, holding the government responsible and expressing solidarity with the miners and their families. The explosion at the coal mine in Tabas, located in South Khorasan province, claimed the lives of 52 workers at 9 PM on September 22. Three weeks prior, a methane gas leak in another mine in the same area had injured several workers. According to the Telegram channel of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Union, the French Democratic Confederation of Labor, the General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the United Trade Union Confederation, the Solidarity Trade Union (Solidaires), and the National Confederation of Independent Trade Unions emphasized that this "avoidable massacre" occurred despite workers informing management about the presence of methane in the mine's atmosphere, yet they were still forced to work. They stated that the "deaths of the workers were entirely preventable" and noted that this was not the only incident in Iran in recent years, as similar events have occurred in various regions, resulting in the deaths of several workers. The statement highlighted that "the recurrence of these deadly incidents in mines clearly indicates that we are facing a systematic issue and a lack of political will to address it; on one hand, there is a failure to adhere to safety standards to ensure workers' safety, and on the other hand, emergency services in mining areas are inadequate." The five French trade unions emphasized that "the existence of independent trade unions greatly facilitates oversight of safety conditions and significantly reduces the likelihood of such incidents." They held the government responsible for the "Tabas Mine Disaster," stating that "under the International Labor Organization conventions, the government and private employers are obligated to ensure the safety and protection of workers' lives at the workplace." These French unions added, "We urge the Iranian regime to take necessary actions, including inspections, to protect the lives of miners" and stressed that the health and safety of miners cannot be left to employers. Previously, the investigator of the Tabas mine explosion case on October 5 had emphasized the "lack of safety" in the mine, noting that negligence had occurred and that "this negligence is the responsibility of the mine officials." According to ISNA news agency, Nasai Zahan, in a program on the Islamic Republic Radio, mentioned that field investigations and the presence of experts from Mashhad and Tehran indicated that it should be examined how much each person is responsible for this incident. So far, there has been no news regarding the summons and interrogation of the owners of the private coal mining company, which has led to criticism of the government, particularly from independent workers', teachers', and retirees' organizations. In this context, the Iran Human Rights Campaign on October 25 described the deaths of dozens of Tabas coal mine workers as "a clear indication of the disregard for the lives and health of Iranian workers in the eyes of the Islamic Republic officials." The campaign emphasized that "this deadly disaster is a direct consequence of inefficiency, structural corruption, negligence, and the disregard for the most basic labor rights; namely, the right to a safe working environment" and added: "The new government's labor minister has attempted to justify this disaster, but the direct responsibility for this disaster lies with the officials of the Islamic Republic." Criticism intensified after Ahmad Maidari, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, claimed that this "incident was not predictable" even before the investigations into the mine explosion began. Meanwhile, the government's response to this explosion, compared to the rapid assistance the Iranian government provided to Hezbollah Lebanon, a group supported by the Islamic Republic, was another point that particularly social media users wrote about. In the wake of widespread public reaction to the mine explosion and criticism of the government’s handling, Massoud Pezeshkian, the prosecutor general, prohibited comments regarding the Tabas mine incident. Families of the victims protested the working conditions in the mine, stating that miners were forced to work. A retired miner from Tabas stated that the mining equipment had become old and worn out. Teachers in Langroud expressed their condolences to the families of the miners killed in the Tabas mine. The reactions to the deadly explosion in Tabas continued, with miners having sensed the "smell of death." The lack of safety at the workplace claims the lives of six workers daily. The Solidarity Committee with the Iranian Labor Movement stated that the massacre of workers in the Tabas mine was due to the negligence of employers and the government. Rasool Khadem stated that the deceased workers were "enslaved" for a piece of bread. Protesting retirees honored the memory of the Tabas mine victims. Commemorating the victims of the Tabas mine explosion took place during a gathering of retirees in Tehran. Oil activists warned of the occurrence of accidents at work on oil rigs and gas refineries in Iran. The reactions to the deaths of dozens of workers in Tabas continued, with the Tehran Teachers' Guild demanding clear accountability from officials. The Iran Human Rights Campaign stated that the lives of workers are "worthless" in the eyes of the Islamic Republic.