Tehran

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.

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat e Vahed) is most grateful to all the world’s labour organisations for their unsparing support for our newly-formed organisation.

According to the reports by Mr. Gholamreza Mirzaei, the current spokesperson of the Syndicate of workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, about 200 workers have thus far been released following the mass arrests on January 28th. Mr. Mirzaei reported that none of the 200 released workers have been able to return to their jobs and hundreds others are still in prison.

Reports are coming in of more arrests last night and today, in particular in transport districts 4, 5 and 6. A gathering of workers in district 6 last night to press for the release of their jailed colleagues was attacked by the security forces, resulting in more arrests. Workers are being intimidated into signing pledges to give up strike and protest actions or risk being fired.

Iran focus reported that agents of the Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS), Iran’s notorious secret police, raided the homes of bus drivers in Tehran in the early hours of the morning, arresting hundreds of bus union activists and in some cases their relatives as well, according to one resident.

Those arrested have been taken to unknown locations.

By an Iranian socialist, Thursday 5 January 2006.

The union is calling for solidarity in the face of what it describes as the company’s extremely harsh reaction to the workers organising efforts.

As well as the dismissals many have been harassed and have undergone interrogations at the hands of the Company’s security forces.