Letter from Labor Activists to Global Trade Unions: Demand Freedom for Imprisoned Workers in Iran

A group of labor activists outside Iran has issued an open letter to trade unions and labor organizations worldwide, urging them to support the labor movement in Iran by backing the protest gathering of labor activists at the International Labour Organization's summer meeting this year and demanding the release of imprisoned labor activists in Iran. The letter from the National Committee for the June 7 protest in Geneva states that 'the Islamic regime of Iran has been in a continuous and comprehensive war against the working class in economic, political, social, and cultural arenas for the past 45 years.' It mentions that the minimum wage is several times below the poverty line and that even the regular payment of wages has become one of the workers' demands. The committee added that Iranian workers often have to juggle up to three unstable jobs to provide shelter and a minimum living for their families. Activists emphasized that the Islamic Republic 'severely violates its own labor laws and shows minimal respect for International Labour Organization conventions,' adding, 'The repression and arrests of workers have become a daily occurrence, and throughout this time, the working class in Iran has shown commendable resistance despite all the brutal repression and deprivation of fundamental labor and human rights, fighting in a severely unequal battle for their rights.' The letter also notes that every year, hundreds of workers and labor activists in Iran are threatened, dismissed, arrested, imprisoned, and tortured for exercising their basic labor rights, and that a significant number of labor activists are currently behind bars. Notable imprisoned activists include Reza Shahabi, Davood Roy, Hassan Saidi, Keyvan Mohtadi, Sharifeh Mohammadi, Osman Esmaeili, Reyhaneh Ansari Nejad, Maziar Seyed Nejad, Nahid Khodajoo, and Nasrin Javadi. Recently, Ismail Gerami, a retired worker and former political prisoner, has been summoned to the Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's Office in Tehran. Additionally, several teacher union activists are also imprisoned, such as Rasoul Badaghi, Hashem Khashtar, Aziz Ghasemzadeh, Asghar Amirzadegan, Aman Jalali Nejad, Amir Esmaeili, Taher Asgarpour, Mahmoud Malaki, Ahmad Alizadeh, Zeynab Hamrang, Javad Laleh Mohammadi, Fatemeh Tadrisi, Nahid Shirpish, Siwan Ebrahimi, Najat Anvar Ebrahimi, and Souma Mohammadpour. In this context, Mohammad Habibi, spokesperson for the Tehran Teachers' Trade Association and member of the Coordinating Council of Cultural Associations, stated in an interview that 61 teachers are facing open legal cases, noting that 10 teachers have been released from prison with electronic ankle monitors while some remain incarcerated. The National Committee for the June 7 protest in Geneva also addressed the security and judicial actions of the Islamic Republic against labor organizations, stating that several independent labor organizations that have somewhat survived the continuous onslaught and repression of the government are under severe and constant pressure, their activities are severely restricted, and many of their founders and members are either imprisoned or live in constant fear of government repression and long detentions without trial. The letter emphasizes that the Islamic Republic, as a member of the International Labour Organization, is obligated to respect the organization's fundamental conventions, including the freedom of association and collective bargaining, yet 'the severe violation of these conventions has been the usual policy and practice of the Iranian regime.' The letter adds that despite having a repressive and violent anti-labor record over the past 45 years, the regime has been allowed to send representatives from government-affiliated organizations, such as the 'Supreme Council of Islamic Labor Councils,' instead of independent and genuine labor representatives to the annual International Labour Organization conference, with no evidence of oversight from this global organization to ensure the independence of labor representatives. The National Committee for the June 7 protest in Geneva further noted, 'Worse still, these proxy individuals are even promoted to board membership and other committees.' The letter stresses that the Islamic Republic also selects employer representatives, meaning that all representatives from Iran are agents and operatives of the Islamic government. The open letter to global trade unions and labor organizations also states that for years, labor organizations and activists in Iran have emphasized that this so-called 'Iranian labor delegation' does not represent the workers of Iran and have urged the relevant bodies of the International Labour Organization to take action to 'stop this shameful fraud, but they have only faced a thick wall of silence.' In this context, reference can be made to the statement of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers Union on May 9, marking the anniversary of the attack on this organization on May 9, 2005. The union wrote that 'the agents of the Islamic Labor Councils and the House of Labor, supported by security and police forces, attacked the union's premises to suppress and stop the workers' efforts to form an independent union before the first union assembly could be held, breaking doors and windows and severely beating union members while stealing all the property in the union office.' The union added, 'The agents of this attack, who were main members of the House of Labor and the Supreme Council of Islamic Labor Councils, have continued to hold positions of power and influence in retirement funds and the Supreme Labor Council and wage committees over the past two decades, and every year, with the state media at their disposal, they try to keep workers and their legitimate demands under control.' The National Committee for the June 7 protest in Geneva also wrote that in 2005, following a complaint against the Islamic Republic for violating workers' rights, a case was opened at the International Labour Organization, which has seen more complaints added to it each year since, yet after nearly 20 years, this organization has taken no meaningful or effective steps to respond to these complaints. Members of this group noted that a gathering will be held on June 18 in protest against the presence of regime agents attending the conference as 'Iranian labor representatives,' where demands for the unconditional release of imprisoned labor activists and all political prisoners in Iran, as well as recognition of the legitimate right of Iranian workers to form independent labor organizations and have collective bargaining agreements, will be raised. They added that along with labor organizations and imprisoned workers in Iran, they call on labor organizations worldwide to support the struggles of the true representatives of Iranian workers and condemn the arbitrary and lengthy prison sentences against them for demanding their basic labor rights. The 112th International Labour Organization conference is scheduled to be held from June 3 to June 14 in Geneva.