Iran Human Rights Campaign: The Lives of Workers Are 'Worthless' in the Eyes of the Islamic Republic

The Iran Human Rights Campaign on Tuesday, October 3, described the deaths of dozens of coal miners in Tabas as a "clear indication of the worthlessness of the lives and health of workers in Iran from the perspective of Islamic Republic officials." The campaign emphasized that "this deadly tragedy 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 Minister of Labor has attempted to justify this tragedy, but the direct responsibility for this disaster lies with the officials of the Islamic Republic." The statement from this human rights organization referred to Iran's membership in the International Labour Organization and its accession to Convention 155 last year. The Iran Human Rights Campaign added that the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed to implementing the provisions of signed conventions, but "systematically and continuously ignores its commitments." Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the Iran Human Rights Campaign, regarding Iran's accession to the International Labour Organization's Convention 155, stated that this convention "obligates governments to develop and implement a comprehensive national policy on occupational safety and health, but these policies have either not been developed or have not been implemented in practice. According to this convention, the government must periodically review and improve the safety conditions of the working environment in consultation with selected labor and employer organizations; an action that has fundamentally not been pursued." He added: "The Iranian government is also a signatory to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which obligates governments (especially according to Article 7 of this covenant) to ensure and guarantee the fundamental rights of workers. However, in practice, none of these fundamental commitments have been taken seriously, and deadly disasters like the Tabas mine incident are repeated as a result of the deliberate irresponsibility and mismanagement of the officials of the Islamic Republic." According to the campaign's report, the rate of workplace accidents and fatalities in Iran has significantly exceeded global standards and similar data in other countries, and based on existing statistics, more than five workers lose their lives on average every day. This human rights organization deemed the recurrence of incidents in mines as the government's "inaction" in the face of "recurrent disasters" and added: this issue "demonstrates the disregard for the right to life and safety of workers." The Iran Human Rights Campaign emphasized that "the inaction and repeated incompetence of government officials and the unchecked profiteering of the affiliated private sector must end, and all those responsible for the disaster on the first of Mehr at the Mojanjui mine in Tabas must be held accountable." Previously, independent labor activists and organizations had called for independent investigations into this explosion and for the public trial of those responsible, with the participation of the victims' families. The campaign also noted the low wages of workers, especially in the mining sector, and their difficult working conditions, stating: "The Islamic Republic's treatment of Iranian workers clearly reflects the anti-labor nature of the ruling system. This government has pushed workers and fixed-income earners to the brink of collapse by imposing the most severe economic and livelihood pressures." This human rights organization announced that under these conditions, workers "are forced to hold protests and strikes due to severe economic and livelihood pressures" and added that they "are either suppressed through threats, arrests, and fabricated charges, or their voices go unheard due to the indifference and inaction of Islamic Republic officials." Hadi Ghaemi warned in this regard: "The continuous repression of labor activists and the disregard for the demands and requests of workers can ultimately pave the way for the recurrence of other deadly disasters."