Six Representatives Warn Interior Minister About 'Violent Response' to Bus Drivers' Protest

On Sunday, December 21, six members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly issued a warning to the Interior Minister regarding the 'violent response' to the protest of drivers from the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company. According to ILNA news agency, Mohammad Reza Badamchi, from the Hope faction, submitted a written notice to Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Interior Minister, regarding what he termed a 'violent response' to the bus drivers' protest. Fatemeh Hosseini, another representative from this faction, also called for follow-up on the treatment of the bus drivers' union protest. According to Mehr news agency, four other representatives have also issued written notices to the Interior Minister regarding this matter, although Mehr did not mention their names. On Tuesday, December 16, Mohsen Sarkho, head of the Labor Faction of the Tehran City Council, condemned the treatment of workers pursuing their union issues and apologized to them and their families. Previously, the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company and several other labor organizations reported that law enforcement officers prevented around 200 drivers from gathering and marching on December 14. These drivers intended to protest the non-payment of housing benefits for drivers and workers of the company in front of the Tehran Municipality building. ILNA reported that the workers have been waiting for housing for years, and their negotiations and correspondence have yielded no results. These workers had previously protested in August. Reports indicated that at least 17 drivers were detained by law enforcement for several hours, and some were beaten, including with batons. Among the drivers who were beaten were Hassan Saidi, Naser Moharramzadeh, and Iraj Fadaei. According to reports, these three workers were transferred to the security police at Arg Square in Tehran and were not taken to Sina Hospital due to the refusal of the unit commander to send them. In this regard, Iraj Fadaei, a driver from the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, told the Citizen newspaper on December 18 that 'the hospital refused to accept them because they did not have money with them.' According to ILNA, Mohsen Sarkho, head of the Labor Faction of the Tehran City Council, apologized to the workers and their families, stating, 'We were present in the council, but we did not realize this issue. It was our duty to prevent violent treatment of them.' However, Iraj Fadaei responded to the Citizen newspaper saying, 'What good is an apology to us? They treated us in front of our wives and children.' Meanwhile, Mohsen Sarkho, a member of the Tehran City Council, condemned the treatment of workers pursuing union issues, comparing it to the whipping of dismissed workers from the Agh Dareh gold mine, and called on the Tehran Municipality to respond and take action against the assailants. However, despite a week passing since the incident, the Tehran Municipality has not reacted to the beating of the bus drivers, and Iranian officials have remained silent on the matter. In response to the police's actions, the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company issued a statement asserting that 'housing is a worker's undeniable right,' noting that the gathering and march of the drivers were in accordance with Article 27 of the Constitution, which states that gatherings and marches, without carrying weapons, are allowed as long as they do not disrupt the principles of Islam. The syndicate stated that the police's intention and the orders given were to 'create fear and terror among the protesters so that they would no longer dare to gather.' On Sunday, the syndicate announced on its Telegram page that Mahdi Chamran, the head of the Tehran City Council, told two representatives of the workers, 'You had a right. If you behave this way, this is what will happen, and we will not do your work at all.' Mahdi Chamran has not responded to this news. Meanwhile, the treatment of the bus drivers has drawn severe criticism from several labor organizations in Iran. The Labor Defenders' Association described such actions as 'police-like,' indicating that they reflect 'the anticipation of widespread public protests against various economic, social, and political pressures, violations of rights, discrimination, and thefts.' The International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran and the Syndicate of Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company also condemned the assault on workers' rights while supporting the demands of the bus drivers. Additionally, the General Workers' Union of Sweden and the Transport Workers' Union of that country emphasized the unconditional right of the bus drivers to gather and protest, calling for the prosecution and punishment of those responsible for the assault on the protesting drivers. These two Swedish labor organizations also stressed the need to 'create a suitable and free environment, free from threats, intimidation, beatings, and arrests for the activities of the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company.' The treatment of protesting workers in Iran pursuing their union demands is not new. In this regard, ILNA reported that a few days prior, around 500 workers from the Polyacryl Company in Isfahan were prevented from gathering in front of the Isfahan Governorate. ILNA did not specify which organization or force prevented the workers' march, noting that the Polyacryl workers had not received wages for six months. The Free Workers' Union of Iran also reported that a nationwide gathering of personnel and workers and their families from the National Iranian Oil Company in front of the Ministry of Oil in Tehran, scheduled for December 17, was canceled due to security pressures. This gathering was intended to demand an increase in monthly payments and the implementation of Article 10 of the Ministry of Oil's duties and powers for evaluating oil employees.