Global Labor Union Supports Workers of Iran's National Steel Group

A global labor union named "Industrial Global Union" issued a statement supporting the demands of workers from the National Industrial Steel Group in Ahvaz, calling for the reinstatement of the dismissed workers of this company. This labor union represents 50 million workers in 140 countries across mining, energy, and manufacturing sectors. The statement, a copy of which reached Voice of America, was issued on the evening of Monday, December 26, regarding four workers from the National Industrial Steel Group who were dismissed following protests by thousands of workers from this industrial unit. Reports indicate that the demands of three thousand workers from this industrial group for "fair wages, decent working conditions, and proper implementation of job classification plans" ultimately led to the suspension of 21 workers by the company's management in December 1403 (2024). Subsequently, four workers - named Hossein Rezaei with 17 years of experience, Saeed Halvai with 19 years of experience, Morteza Akbariyan with 17 years of experience, and Masoud Navasar, who was on the verge of retirement - were dismissed. Simultaneously, the management of the National Industrial Steel Group refused to meet the demands of its workers. According to the website of the Industrial Global Union, union leaders are calling for the reinstatement of all dismissed workers, emphasizing that their actions were "a legitimate defense of the rights and benefits of workers." In this regard, Kamal Ozkan, Deputy General Secretary of the Industrial Global Union, stated that the workers of the National Industrial Steel Group have been targeted for their rightful union activities, stressing that "union activity is not a crime." He expressed the union's support for the dismissed workers' efforts to return to work and urged the National Industrial Steel Group to "immediately engage in negotiations with the workers and their representatives to address their demands." In recent years, alongside the expansion of labor protests and strikes in various regions of Iran, administrative, security, and judicial actions against protesting workers regarding their living conditions have increased. These actions, which include the dismissal of workers or their arrest and imprisonment, have led to widespread protests by unions and syndicates around the world.