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October 15, 2010

According to the latest news from Iran, Reza Shahabi, Treasurer and board member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, who has been incarcerated since June 12, 2010, was scheduled to be released on bail on October 11, 2010; however, the authorities refused to release him despite the order for his conditional release by a judge.

On October 11, 2010, tens of family members and friends of Reza Shahabi gathered outside the Evin Prison to welcome Shahabi after his family had deposited 60 million Toman (about 57,000 US Dollar) as surety. After staying outside prison until after midnight, in spite of cold weather and rain, prison authorities refused to free Shahabi.

As of today, Friday, October 15, 2010, Reza Shahabi continues to be detained in Evin Prison. According to reports by Mr. Shahabi’s family, the bail amount for Shahabi has been increased to 100,000,000 toman. There are reports that Reza has been under pressures and interrogation to “collaborate” with prison authorities; this is despite the fact that he has already spent more than four months in prison without any justifiable reasons.

There is no justification whatsoever to keep Shahabi in prison. Reza Shahabi is a well-known and highly respected worker and labour leader in Iran and his imprisonment is a gross violation of human rights and international labour standards.

Free Reza Shahabi Now!
Free Mansour Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi!
Free all jailed labour activists now!

Send protest messages to:
info@leader.ir, info@judiciary.ir, dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir; iran@un.int; ijpr@iranjudiciary.org, info@dadiran.ir, office@justice.ir, support@irimlsa.ir; ilo@ilo.org; cabinet@ilo.org; eastgulf@amnesty.org
cc: info@workers-iran.org

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"In Iran, before the rescued miners could hug and kiss their female relatives, they would be forced to show their identity cards and prove that they're related and they would be lectured to by the authorities that it's not good to do these things in public."

Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

October 14, 2010

Iranian blogger Arman has some theories about what it would look like if miners had been trapped underground in the Islamic republic:

In Iran, the area would have quickly turned into a security zone, police forces would surround the area, and the news [that miners have been trapped] would have been denied.

While Iranian authorities are busy fighting against bad veiling and cultural invasion, it would have taken them several weeks to decide how to announce the news to the Iranian people so that citizens would not think that such incident are possible in the country of the Hidden Imam and the authorities would do all they could to blame the miners for the incident.

In Iran, after contacting the miners, the authorities would send them 33 copies of the Koran and a mullah would come to talk to them through the hole and tell them that it’s the best time for them to think about the pressure of the grave and cleanse their soul. They would later create a telephone line for them through which they could find out how to live according to religious laws several hundred meters underground.

In Iran, Mr. Mohsen [the person in charge of the rescue operation] would say that in order to save money one bulldozer would be enough for the rescue efforts — God knows how to keep people alive underground for many years — and the rest of the money would be sent to our poor brothers in Lebanon.

Then on state television there would be constant thanking and praising of the president and other officials for doing what they could to save the miners, and their wife and children would be shown while crying in joy in meetings with the supreme leader and the president.

In Iran, only Fars news agency would be allowed to cover the rescue operations. They would report on state television that everything was going successfully, but unfortunately there has been a small problem that is being solved with the help of the authorities.

In Iran, on the rescue capsule it would be written “We can, Death to the U.S., Death to Israel” to upset them when it was shown on foreign media. They would let Mr. Mohsen who [knows little English] write the text and it would include three or four mistakes.

In Iran, before the rescued miners could hug and kiss their female relatives, they would be forced to show their identity cards and prove that they’re related and they would be lectured to by the authorities that it’s not good to do these things in public.

In Iran, the miners and their families would be told not to say anything that would be used by foreigners, they would be interviewed by state television, and before the interview they would be briefed on what to say.

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Workers at a petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh also went on strike this week to demand back wages be paid.

Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

October 8, 2010

Workers at two plants in southern Iran went on strike this week to demand unpaid wages, RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reports.

An employee at Kaghaz Pars Haftapeh, a paper mill in southwestern Iran, told RFE/RL on October 7 on condition of anonymity that workers had not been paid for three months.

“Our production remains at a normal level, we produce and distribute paper, but we don’t receive our salaries,” he said. “I don’t know where the money is going.”

He added that “the plant’s retired workers have not received their pensions since last year — they live in absolute poverty.”

A similar situation with unpaid wages has reportedly arisen at several plants in the southern port city of Asaluyeh, a key industrial hub. Workers at a petrochemical plant in Asaluyeh also went on strike this week to demand back wages be paid.

A worker at the petrochemical plant told RFE/RL that Iran was feeling the impact of international sanctions against it because of its controversial nuclear program.

“The companies here have financial problems and difficulties securing components as a result of the international sanctions,” he said.

He added that before starting to strike the workers warned the company’s management, which then promised to pay the wage arrears.

“They promised many times to pay us, but those were all false promises,” he said.

The Iranian Labor News Agency reported that workers at the Ghue vegetable-oil plant in Tehran gathered in front of the parliament on October 6 amid fears they may be laid off or not paid.

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Source: Human Rights House of Iran (RAHANA)

October 5, 2010

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh was detained on June 12^th and has been in pain for a long time since his legs and ribs were injured after he was beaten during the arrest.

According to the Committee to Free the Political Prisoners,, in a visit with his family on September 30^th, he informed them that he has gone  on a hunger strike since September 29^th in order to object to the failure of the authorities to do something for his severe leg pain and to his detention in solitary confinement.

His family stated that he objects to the bail that has been set for him since he believes that he has not committed any crimes and should not have been arrested in the first place.

Behnam’s brother has organized a campaignfor his brother’s release and stated that his family has referred to the authorities in order to post the bail but they fail to respond. According to him, they claim that they will be contact them later but they fail to do so and Behnam is still held in prison.

He added that they have even denied them prison visits every now and then and the situation has put pressure on Behnam’s wife and child.

The Ebrahimzadeh family stated that they need the help of everyone and all the workers in order to release Behnam and other prisoners of conscience.

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Source: Iranian Labor

August 18, 2010 

The massive crackdown on the independent labor activists continues in Iran. Several leaders and activists in the union movement remain in jails while others have been subject to summons and terminations from their jobs. A sketch of the repression of the independent union activism in today’s Iran follows.

Mansour Osaloo, the legendary leader of the Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate, was taken to court on August 1 and tried under the pretext of having connections with the illegal opposition groups. The trial lasting an hour and ten minutes commenced at 9:00 a.m. at the branch one revolutionaly court in the city of Karaj. At the trial, Osaloo did not have his lawyers present and they were also uninformed about the court session.

While the Iranian Labor Minister had given a promise of release of Osaloo to ILO, the Vahed Union leader remains in jail and new cases filed against him. At the said court session, Osaloo was sentenced to a new one year term. He is currently serving a five year term in Karaj Gohardasht prison. His attorneys will file a petition against the ruling within the twenty day period allowed.

Ebrahim Maddadi, the deputy head of the Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate also remains in jail. Maddadi is serving a 3.5 year sentence along with Osaloo.

Reza Shahabi, the secretary treasurer of the Syndicate, in a brief phone conversation with his family informed them of an additional two month extension of his incarceration. Reza Shahabi was abducted on June 12 by the intelligence ministry operatives and taken to the solitary confinement in the Ward 209 of the Evin prison. He has been denied any family visits since and has only had a few brief monitored phone conversations with his family.

Saeed Torabian, the director of public relations at the syndicate, who was freed on a large bail on July 19, has been facing various pressures since his release. Saeed Torabian spent from June 9 to July 19 in prisons due to his illegal detention by the intelligence ministry officials in Iran.

On August 17, Homayoun Jaberi, an activist with the Vahed Syndicate received a one year suspended term following his arrest at the 2009 May Day celebration event in Park Laleh Tehran.

On July 22, Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, an activist with the Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate, was suspended and his wages and benefits were also put on hold. The 44 year old Gholamhosseini was arrested following the Vahed bus workers strike in 2005 and spent several weeks in prison. He was suspended for four years before being reinstated six months ago. He is married with three children.

Gholamhosseini is among many Vahed labor activists who have been facing the wrath of the regime because of their union activism. Several labor activists with the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Workers Syndicate also await their reinstatement following expulsions due to their union activities.

The crackdown on the Vahed union activists is not confined to just their intimidation. The families of these activists have also been under target. While the abduction and torture of Osaloo’s daughter in law has been reported, several other Vahed union activist families have been under heavy economic pressures.

The Free Assembly of Iranian Workers reports that Sadigh Karimi, a member of the board of directors, and Foad Keikhosravi, an activist member of the union have been summoned to appaear once again at the branch one revolutionary court in the city of Sanandaj on September 22. The two activists appeared on July 20 at that court.

Seven labor activists with the Coordinating Committee to Facilitate Creation of Workers Organizations in Iran, Fattah Soleimani, Hossein Piroti, Samad Ahmadpour, Rahman Tanha, Rahman Ebrahimzadeh, Isa Ebrahimzadeh, and Abbas Hashempour were found not guilty of charges in a court hearing by the branch one of the Urumiyeh revolutionary court on August 16. They were arrested on February 29 and spent twelve days in prison.

The Coordinating Committee also has reported on the trials of two labor activists, Vafa Ghaderi and Sadigh Sobhani in the city of Sanandaj. Additionally, Khosrow Boukani, an activist in the city of Naghadeh, has been sentenced to a two year sentence and Kaveh Golmohammadi in Kamyaran has started serving his term in the city of Sanandaj.

Rasoul Bodaghi, a member of the board of directors of the Iranian Teachers Trade Association, was sentenced to six years in prison and five years denial of activities on August 3. He has been sentenced to one year in prison for “propaganda against the system” and five years for “assembly and attempt to distrub the national security”. His court session was held on July 14. Bodaghi has been in jail since September 2009. His sentence is being appealed by his attorney.

Ali Akbar Baghani and Mahmoud Beheshti Langarudi, the general secretary and the spokesperson of the Teachers Association were released earlier on July following 63 days of incarceration. Mokhtar Assadi, Mohammad Bagheri, Esmael Abdi, and Hashem Khastar are other teacher unionists who remain in prisons. Abdolreza Ghanbari a teacher unionist is jailed with the death penalty pronounced against him. This is extremely alarming since the earlier execution of Farzad Kamangar on May 9.

Behnam Ebrahimzadeh and Mehdi Farahi Shandiz, members of the Pursueing Committee for the Formation of Free Workers Organizations in Iran, remain held incommunicado. Mehdi Farahi Shandiz has been in jail since June 1, 2010. He is one of the labor activists arrested during the May Day ceremonies of 2009 in Tehran. Paying a visit to the branch 8 of the revolutionary court to collect his personal belongings, he was met with “inhumane treatment” which led to his protest. He was then taken to the notorious Kahrizak prison in south of Tehran under baseless accusations of disturbing the peace.

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Mansur Osanlu is facing a new charge of 'propaganda against the government.'

Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

August 13, 2010

The wife of the jailed head of the Tehran bus service union says another year has been added to his prison sentence, RFE/RL’s Radio Farda reports.

Mansur Osanlu is currently serving a five-year prison term given to him three years ago by a revolutionary court in Karaj that found him guilty of “acting against national security.”

Osanlu’s wife, Parvane Osanlu, told Radio Farda on August 12 that his lawyers will file his case with an appeals court on August 14 to challenge the additional year being added to his sentence.

“Osanlu was outraged [by the decision] and said he has not done anything to deserve such an extension of his sentence,” his wife said. “He is waiting for the lawyers to transfer his case to the appeals court.”

Parvane told Radio Farda that the new charge against her husband is “propaganda against the government.” She said she believes the extension of his prison sentence is illegal.

“Osanlu has not done anything in the past three years in prison to be held on charges of propaganda against the government; he only defended his rights as a prisoner, in response to which the prison authorities brought this charge against him,” she said.

Parvane Osanlu told Radio Farda she had heard rumors that the Labor Ministry had informed the International Labor Organization that the judiciary had agreed to release her husband.

She said the extension of his sentence “has shocked us all when we were counting the days until his release.”

Osanlu was arrested in July 2007. He is serving his sentence in the Rajae Shahr prison camp in Karaj, 20 kilometers outside Tehran.

He had been detained several times in 2005-2007 before his arrest.

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Source: Human Rights House of Iran (RAHANA)

August 6, 2010

On Sunday, August 1^st, 2010, Mansour Osanloo Head of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company was tried at the Revolutionary Court’s Branch #1 in the city of Karaj.

According to Human Rights and Democracy Activists (HRDAI), Osanloo was charged with “counter revolutionary” activities and his trial lasted approximately 1 hour.  Osanloo was deprived of a lawyer during his trail and his lawyers were unaware that he had been taken to court.

Mansour Osanloo suffers from a number ailments including a heart condition, issues with his eye (he has had three eye surgeries) and back pain.  As a result of his ailments legal doctors have voted 3 times that his prison sentence be terminated and in accordance to the law, he should have been released from jail.  A report written by a commission consisting of 5 physicians who examined Osanloo for a number of hours, also concluded that he should be freed based on his deteriorating physical condition.

In the past few months, Osanloo has been transferred to solitary confinement for no particular reason.

Reza Shahabi, another member of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company has also been held in Ward 209 since June 12^th without the possibility to meet with his family.

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Source: Iranian regime-run English language daily, Tehran Times

August 4, 2010

ASSALOUYEH – A massive explosion at the Pardis Petrochemical Company plant in the southern port city of Assalouyeh caused a huge fire and killed five workers on Wednesday.

The incident occurred at about 2 p.m. local time.

A ruptured gas pipe is reported to have been the cause of the explosion, sources told the Mehr News Agency.

Welding sparks ignited the leaking gas and caused the explosion.

The explosion and ensuing fire also damaged parts of the petrochemical plant.

Firemen have managed to contain the fire, but a unit of the Pardis Petrochemical Company plant was completely burnt down.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the second phase of the Pardis Petrochemical Company plant on July 28.

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Source: Iranian Labor

August 3, 2010

According to the statistics published by the Statistical Center of Iran and Iran Central Bank, the unemployment rate in Iran has started rising since Fall 2008 and has reached 11.9% by March 2010, the largest in the past six years. While the real rate of unemployment stands higher, even the official numbers point to the increase.

According to the latest statistics, 21 provinces in the country show increase in the unemployment rate for 2009 compared with 2008. Across the country, the rate of unemployment shows an increase of 1.5% from 10.4 to 11.9% in that period. In twenty two provinces in the country, the rate has been in two digits while only 8 provinces have been able to check the rate to a single digit. Overall, the unemployment rate shows increase in 21 provinces and decline in 9. In 13 provinces, the increase in the rate has been between 1.9 to 4 percent. The province with the highest unemployment rate is that of Lorestan which had an increase of 1.9 percent with 17.1% unemployment in 2008 reaching 19% in 2009.

Khabaronline, a conservative news site close to Ali Larijani, the parliament speaker, reports that ten Iranian economist believe the real rate of unemployment to be 14.6 percent compared with the official 11.9 percent and the number is to increase to 15.9% this year. The official data already records 12.3 in 2010 showing an increase in the first months of the year. Taking the base as 40 hours week of work, the unemployment rate will still show even a higher number.

The rate of unemployment amongst the youth stays higher with 24% of those between 15 to 24 having been unemployed last Fall. 87% of the unemployed are those between the ages of 15 to 30 and amongst the unemployed youth, 45% are those with university degrees.

According to a report by Aftab news site, “the massive layoffs have been picking up since the start of the new year – i.e. March 21 – in different production enterprises in the country. After the layoffs in Saman plant, it was the turn for the workers in Saghez telecommunications, next different enterprises in Eastern Azerbaijan to Kermanshah, Bushehr Iran Sadra, Ahvaz Pipes, Saveh Iran Tefal, Shomal Industrial Agriculture, Towzingar, Havayar, and hundreds of small and large workshops. Even large companies such as Iralco, National Lead and Zinc, and Pars Wagon have not been spared.”

According to the informed sources, Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) reports, “all the large manufacturing plants are in the midst of terminating their contract employees, even skilled workers with 15 years of service are among the laid off. The managers of the bankrupt industrial giants are pressuring their full time workers to accept early retirements.”

ILNA adds, “even the new pole of capitalism in Iran, i.e. the revolutionary guards does not possess the necessary management and technical know how to run these plants and it was just recently that the Khatam al Anbiya Construction (associated with the guards) had to pull out of South Pars gas project because of the sanctions. Other individuals and firms tied to the guards are after projects in shipping, export and import and even contrabands. In fact, in the last five years, the guards have entered into all the lucrative markets in Iran in an organized fashion. However, due to the lack of technical know how amongst the guards’ associates and the dealer mentality governing their economic practices, these takeovers have resulted in sluggishness and the loss of productivity in the country.”

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Source: Iranian Labor

July 27, 2010

On July 24, about 350 Farnakh Textile Workers staged a protest gathering across the factory gates in the Qazvin industrial city of Alborz. The workers were protesting not having received five months of back wages and two months of bonuses and benefits for the Iranian new year starting in March. A protesting worker has told the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) that “our gatherings are always suppressed under the pretext of being rebellious and subversive. We, however, are not asking for anything further than our rights and dues.”