Iran: Continuous Harassment of the Independent Trade Union

Brussels, 25 November 2010 (ITUC Online):
The ITUC strongly condemns the continuous harassment of the independent trade union movement in Iran. The ITUC lodged numerous protests with Iran over the past years and months in response to seeing trade unionists being arrested, harassed and facing the threat of arrest for conducting normal trade union duties.

According to the information received by the ITUC, November has been a terrible month for trade unionists in Iran. On Monday 23, Morteza Komsari, member of the Vahed Syndicate, was detained. On Monday 17, the court of Shush issued six-month sentences for three Haft Tapeh workers, Alireza Saeedi, Behrooz Mollah Zadeh and Behrooz Nikoofar, for "insulting the leader". On 9 November, Homayoun Jabari was held at branch four of the Rajai Shahr prison for eleven days. On 3 November, Saeed Torabian, communications director of the bus workers' union, and fellow trade unionist Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, of the Vahed Syndicate, were attacked in a Karaj internet café.

In a letter http://www.ituc-csi.org/harassment-of-independent-trade.html sent to the Iranian authorities, the ITUC urges the leader of the Islamic Republic, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, to take all necessary measures to stop without delay the harassment and abuse of trade union members and, also, to release Mansour Osanloo and all other detained trade unionists who are still in prison simply because they exercise their legitimate rights.

"As a member of the ILO, Iran has obligations to fulfil, such as respect for freedom of association and respect for all the fundamental rights of trade unionists," said Sharan Burrow, ITUC general secretary.

ENDS