Reza Shahabi, Imprisoned Labor Activist: Expel the Islamic Republic from the International Labour Organization

Reza Shahabi, a board member of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate, who is imprisoned in Evin Prison, called for the expulsion of representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in a letter addressed to the annual ILO conference. In this letter, published on Friday, June 2, on the Telegram channel of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Workers' Syndicate, Shahabi reviewed the security pressures against protesting workers, stating: "The security apparatus sends its appointed and nominal representatives as independent labor representatives to international forums, including ILO conferences." The ILO conference is set to commence on June 5 in Geneva, Switzerland. This well-known labor activist described government organizations such as the House of Labor and Islamic Labor Councils as serving the Islamic Republic of Iran and emphasized their direct role in suppressing the general assembly of the Bus Workers' Syndicate. He added that they "again pretend to be elected representatives of the workers." Shahabi explained the unfavorable conditions for workers, stating that the Iranian government "does not allow the formation of independent unions and organizations, turns the workers' legitimate right to strike into a security crime, does not allow the election of labor representatives in a democratic process, and whenever the voice of labor protest is raised, it is met with expulsion, imprisonment, flogging, and torture." Recently, eight labor and professional organizations in Iran sent a letter to participants of the 111th ILO conference, calling for the expulsion of the Islamic Republic from the organization, citing the government's policies towards workers, teachers, retirees, and child rights activists. Shahabi also criticized the Iranian government's failure to implement the ILO's fundamental labor conventions, despite Iran's commitment to international labor covenants. He urged the ILO to "stand with the workers of Iran." The increasing prices of essential goods and the cost of living have put significant pressure on a wide range of people in Iran, including teachers, workers, and retirees.