Mansoor Hayat Gheibi, one of the leaders of the Tehran Bus Workers Union was released yesterday following a hunger strike that started last week.
However, his comrade Mansoor Ossanlou, remains imprisoned after his arrest in December last year. Meanwhile the lock-out of some 1,000 bus workers continues, with another 116 more sacked last week.
Labourstart.org reported Mansoor Hayat Gheibi, member of the executive board of Tehran bus workers’ union, was released yesterday following several days of hunger strike. Although out of prison once on 19th March, along with a number of other colleagues, Hayat Gheibi was re-arrested shortly afterwards. Last week he began a hunger strike in protest at his continued detention.
However, union leader Mansoor Ossanlou continues to be detained since 22 December 2005 without any charges or access to a lawyer. He is suffering from a number of medical conditions, including a newly contracted skin disease.
Meanwhile the bus workers have called for another day of action tomorrow, Wednesday 12 April, in front of the offices of the state-owned Vahed bus company to press for the release of Ossanlou and reinstatement of up to 1,000 laid-off workers.
These workers remain locked out without any pay since their release following powerful worldwide protests by international trade unions and human rights organisations. On 9 March the ‘termination of contracts’ of 46 workers - most union activists - was announced (Update 19). Also, last Wednesday, 5th April, the workers, protesting outside the bus company’s headquarters, were told that another 116 workers have been formally sacked, though no names were released.
A ‘disciplinary committee’ is reportedly working its way through a long list of workers to be fired for their part in the strike of 28th January. The strike had been called to press for the release of Mansoor Ossanlou, recognition of the bus workers’ union and collective bargaining.
Letters of protest may be sent to the President of the Islamic Republic, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, at [email protected] . Please copy to us for our info and further distribution.
The locked-out workers and their families are in urgent need of financial support. Please contribute to Tehran Bus Workers Relief Fund at any of the bank accounts below, notifying us at the same time for an acknowledgement:
NatWest, England
Account no: 49606174
Sort code: 600738
Sparkasse, Germany
Konto Nr11271061
BLZ 29050101
Postbank, Eindhoven, Netherlands
Bank rekening: 7299850
Nordea Bank, Sweden
Konto nr: 40011845429
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International Labour Solidarity Committee of the
Worker-communist Party of Iran
Co-ordinator: Shahla Daneshfar ([email protected])
Public Relations: Bahram Soroush ([email protected])
www.kargaran.org
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