Appeal from sacked Tehran transport workers

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.

The Syndicate is under extreme pressure from the Employer and the government-sponsored Workers House and the Islamic Labour Council to back down on its demand for recognition.

The sacked workers are also facing great financial difficulties and as a result, the union has launched a broad and public fundraising campaign.

The Syndicate is urging all concerned individuals and labour and progressive organisations around the world to pressure the Iranian government and the Tehran and Suburbs Public Transportation Company, demanding the immediate reinstatement of all fired labour activists. The Syndicate has also called for financial donations in order to support the sacked workers and their families, many of whom are tenants without any other source of income. In particular, the Company, which is one of the largest employers in Iran with over 17,000 employees, must be pressured to:

1. Immediately reinstate all fired workers.
2. End the intimidation and harassment of workers and labour activists in the company.
3. Recognise the newly elected independent union, and remove the company-selected, government-sponsored Islamic Labour Council.
4. Negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the workers’ union and recognise the right to strike.

PLEASE DONATE TO THE FIRED WORKERS FUND

Donations can be sent to:

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran
P.O. Box 1164, Station Q
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 2P4
Canada

Please indicate that the money is intended for the “Tehran Transportation Workers’ Fund”.

From the pages of Working Class Resistance, magazine of Organise!

http://www.organiseireland.org