International Federation of Food, Agricultural and Allied Workers Criticizes Treatment of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers

The Congress of the International Federation of Food, Agricultural and Allied Workers has adopted a resolution criticizing the treatment of workers at Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company and their labor union, expressing support for them. In this "emergency resolution," published in "solidarity with the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Union," support is given for the "struggle of the Haft Tappeh workers for unpaid wages, social security benefits, and the recognition of their union." The Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Union is a member of the International Federation of Food, Agricultural and Allied Workers, which was established in 1920 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, the federation had launched a campaign to support the Haft Tappeh workers and their union. Peter Roseman, the international and campaign officer of the federation, told Radio Farda that if the detention of these workers continues, he will file a complaint with the International Labour Organization. Mehdi Kouhestani Nejad, an advisor to the International Confederation of Trade Unions and a member of the Canadian Labour Congress, noted global support for workers in Iran, stating: "Labor organizations worldwide are responding to the new wave of arrests of labor activists by launching coordinated campaigns for the freedom of labor and teachers' activists globally, supporting imprisoned workers alongside other hunger-striking prisoners, and calling for the release of all political and union prisoners." The Congress of the International Federation of Food, Agricultural and Allied Workers pointed out that Haft Tappeh workers are facing "new harassment" and noted that 66 active and retired workers from the company have been arrested in recent weeks and sentenced to prison for "strikes and labor protests." Earlier, the Haft Tappeh Workers' Union issued a statement on Friday, September 1, reporting the continuation of what it called "case fabrication, dismissals, threats, summons, and trials of the workers" and wrote: "Security, police, and judicial officials have fabricated cases against more than 70 hardworking workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company." The organization added: "Why, instead of paying the personnel's demands in these few days, have several more workers been dismissed, suspended, and dragged to the disciplinary committee?" According to reports, the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company have protested against the non-payment of their wages and benefits and have also demanded the return of ownership of this large agricultural-industrial unit to the government. Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company was privatized in March 2016, and since then, according to the union, it has faced more economic problems, resulting in wages and benefits being paid with a delay of two to three months. Mehdi Kouhestani Nejad, referring to the demands of the Haft Tappeh workers and other factories in Iran, added: "The economic injustice that has become widespread in Iranian society is a product of the austerity measures of financial institutions that have turned a blind eye to the corruption that has engulfed the entire society." Meanwhile, various Iranian government officials have considered privatization as one of the ways to improve the economic situation and employment in recent years. However, according to media reports in Iran, several privatized factories have gone bankrupt after a while due to mismanagement and have failed to fulfill their obligations to the workers of these units. Additionally, many workers from these factories have also been dismissed. In this context, the Haft Tappeh Workers' Union, in its statement on September 1, equated the situation of this agricultural-industrial unit with that of the Holder Glue Factory in East Azerbaijan Province. According to news reports, the disciplinary regulations of the private employer of this factory for its workers became controversial, likening it to "mandatory prayer." The newspaper Jahan San'at reported on September 4, quoting the disciplinary regulations of the glue factory, stating: "Talking while working is prohibited and will lead to consequences." Furthermore, "it should be noted that when fined, the individual must thank and not argue." Also, according to Article 60 of these regulations, "if the employer's words are forgotten, rewards will be eliminated." According to the Haft Tappeh Workers' Union, the deputy manager of this company "constantly announces that the company is private and does not believe in the labor disciplinary regulations, and the installation of numerous cameras throughout the company and the constant presence of police forces have turned Haft Tappeh into a full-fledged military barracks." According to the statement of this labor organization, "as soon as two workers protest within the company, the police immediately enter the company and create terror and fear." In this regard, the Haft Tappeh Workers' Union requested inspectors from the Khuzestan province and Shush city labor department to prevent "bulk and arbitrary actions" against the workers, stating: "For reasons that the relevant officials at the city and provincial levels and the Rouhani government and the privatization organization must answer, everyone has remained silent regarding the employer's actions; as if the workers of this company are not citizens of this country." To date, in recent years, government officials have not commented on the treatment of the Haft Tappeh workers or their union. Meanwhile, the Congress of the International Federation of Food, Agricultural and Allied Workers, in its resolution, also called for the dropping of charges against all Haft Tappeh workers, emphasizing the need for the full payment of wages and overdue benefits and the recognition of the workers' union of this company.