Iranian Junta Increases Repression Of Workers Ahead Of May Day

international | worker & community struggles and protests | news report

Sunday April 27, 2008 14:58

by Yassamine Mather

This year the Iranian government's repression of workers has started before the 1st of May with the arrest of a number of labour activists in the last week of April . Two of the leading members of the newly found 'Free union of Iranian workers' ( who despite its unfortunate choice of name has declared its intentions to work within the confines of the current regime and avoid 'political' opposition to the regime) were arrested ahead of plans for a May Day demonstration in Kurdistan. The government followed the arrests by banning unofficial May Day celebrations in various parks in Tehran.

In recent years workers and labour activists in Tehran have celebrated May day with a family outing on the last Friday in April (weekend in Iran). However this year , on Friday the 25th of April the Islamic regime deployed hundreds of military and security personnel who surrounded the main park where Tehran workers intended to gather and stopped buses and cars entering this area. Despite these measures workers walked to the park through other entrances and some workers gathered in another park near Karaj.

This latest repression comes at a time when the working class and the poor are facing unprecedented rates of inflation and severe economic hardships as a direct result of the sanctions imposed by US compounded by total mismanagement of the economy by Ahmadinejad's government.

According to none other than the government's outgoing Economics's minister Jafari: The president failed to listen to opinions and solutions offered by experts, which only added to the country's economic woes...Subsequently, a huge increase in liquidity injected into the country as a result of high oil prices and lowering bank interest rates fed the wild inflation further.” 23rd April 2008

In addition as each faction of the regime reveals corruption amongst leaders of other Islamic factions, Iranians have began to realise that their worst worries about the scale of government corruption underestimated government sponsored corruption. Last week Ahamdinejad admitted that the "economic mafia" and "financially corrupt" people in high positions were harming the economy .He blamed some ministries and government offices for some of the economy’s shortcomings. And guess what was his solution: “martyrdom”. “If we want to build the country, maintain our dignity and solve economic problems, we need the culture of martyrdom," Ahmadinejad speech 24th April 2008.

Ahmadinejad went on to describe martyrdom as "a quick and short cut way to reach the summit of salvation." He did not say how becoming a martyr would help Iran's economy, or high inflation

The decision by many European and Japanese banks to stop all dollar transactions with Iranian banks as well as renewed fears of a military strike, following the appointment of general Petreaus as US military commander , are creating new economic conditions with most experts putting the current rate of inflation in Iran closer to 30 percent rather than the official rate of 18.5 percent

Last year food prices rose by a third from March to August 2007, the cost of housing went up 14%, and the cost of medical care increased more than 18% according to IMF figures. (IMF monitors Iran's economy as it dictates new privatisation and 'reconstruction ' policies in accordance with the conditions of its loans. In the first month of the current Iranian new year ( from 21st of March) has gone up by another 20 % .

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Comments (11 of 11)

question

by juntos

Sun Apr 27, 2008 23:35

why do you call the iranian government a 'junta'? is the american government a junta? is the israeli? is the irish government a junta? is the british?

More Info

by pat c

Mon Apr 28, 2008 13:06

Sheis Amani, the former president of the Dismissed and Unemployed Workers Union’s executive board was arrested and committed to Sanandaj prison on April 23, 2008. Sheis Amani was among a group of 13 people who were arrested and imprisoned during the May Day celebrations of 2007 that took place in Sanandaj. Iran Free Workers Union condemned the arrest and imprisonment of Shis Amani.

Source: iranlabourwatch.net

Repression Continues: Vahed Union Leader Suimmoned To Court.

Mon Apr 28, 2008 13:15

Ebrahim Norouzi Gohari, a member of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Vahed) Union’s executive board was summoned to Court regarding the Vahed Company Protests in winter of 2005. Other members of Vahed Syndicate’s board of directors are being tried by the Court on the same charges. Ebrahim and dozens of other Vahed Syndicate members have been suspended since the government repression on a planned one day strike back in 2005.

Source: iranlabourwatch.net

Free Esmail Jafari!

Mon Apr 28, 2008 13:26

Esmail Jafari is a journalist as well as a theatre director. He was formerly a worker at the Sadra shipyard in Bushehr. The Iranian secret police arrested Esmail during the recent strike and protests by Sadra shipbuilding workers. He has been held at the "Information Ministry's" Bushehr province HQ since early April and severely tortured. The secret police are putting him under pressure so admit to having had contacts with various oppositionist groups. They have charged him with a number of 'crimes', including taking photographs of the Sadra workers' protest in front of the Bushehr governor's office and filing a report; being in contact with oppositionist groups and spreading propaganda against the Islamic Republic. The Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network is campaigning for Esmail Jafari's immediate and unconditional release.

Source: Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network

by ok

Mon Apr 28, 2008 13:41

"why do you call the iranian government a 'junta'? is the american government a junta? is the israeli? is the irish government a junta? is the british?"

you are right, it should be called a religious junta.

and unlike iran..... america, britian, israel, ireland etc etc have open and free elections with many political parties who can say what they want, dress the way they want, have the sexual orientation that they want, etc etc without any religious police throwing them in jail.

Many shades of grey.

by Democracy does not exist

Mon Apr 28, 2008 14:47

"and unlike iran..... america, britian, israel, ireland etc etc have open and free elections with many political parties who can say what they want, dress the way they want, have the sexual orientation that they want, etc etc without any religious police throwing them in jail. "

I think you need to revisit your understanding of open and free elections and stop kidding yourself.

The United States and Britain has a particularly effective vetting process when it comes to candidature in elections. It is called money. Candidates are equally vetted by those who fund their campaigns thus ensuring their interests will be protected. Until those interests are served by an openly gay man or a divorcee or even a humble pacifist, they will never see the inside of the Oval office or 10 Downing Street without a visitors pass.
It has nothing to do with Democracy, once the illusion of a democratic vote has been remonstrated, it is ultimately a select few who really decides who gets elected because they originally decide who gets on the ticket. Following from that I’m sure the controversy surrounding the last US Presidential Election hasn’t escaped you?

Even little old Ireland employed censorship for decades and used instruments of the State to attack and undermine Republicans, it was only when Bertie went fishing for a legacy that they where allowed in from the cold.

But back to Iran. Iran has a vetting process too, just as the US has mechanisms in place to ensure someone who would be a threat to the countries founding principles will never get elected, Iran does not allow anyone to run who would undermine the principles of the Islamic revolution.

Iran’s vetting process is far more overt and far less subtle than the means employed in the US and Britain but the outcome is the same. The circus that is the Democratic Parties nomination battle between Clinton and Barack is in every respect meaningless, they are two sides of the same coin, products of the monied class and absolutely no threat to American imperialism or its industrial-military complex. Indeed that discernment can certainly be extended to The Democratic Party and the Republicans, The Tories and New Labour, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They are virtually indistinguishable save the wrapping.

Following from this is it clear to say that John Doe from Minneapolis can not and will not ever get elected despite how much he might want to. The same can be said of Joe Bloggs from Hartlepool or Enniskerry.

If you don’t believe me, try it.

As for Israel, to suggest that Israel stages open and free elections is simply ridiculous.

Educate yourself sir, stop swallowing all that is spoon-fed to you by the gobshites you had no hand or part in putting in to power.

Iran Is A Religious Dictatorship

Mon Apr 28, 2008 19:16

Only a charlatan or someone very naive would pretend that Iran is anything other than a dictatorship. It is ridiclious to suggest that there is no difference between the electoral systems in the west and in Iran. In Ireland the Roman Catholic Church does not have a veto on who stands for election. In Iran you cannot stand for election unless you are approved by a council of islamic experts. Their decision is supposedly based on the candidates knowledge of Islam. But in the election just past over 1,700 reformist candiates were disqualified. They were not calliong for the overthrow of the Islamc State, they were calling for reforms within it.

No one who is opposed to the rule by clergy is allowed to stand for election. No one who calls for a secular state is allowed to stand. Actually to even make these suggestions is enough to get you imprisoned.

Women who campaign for the most basic equal rights are imprisoned are as workers who dare to go on strike or students who call for democracy. All of this has been documented on Indymedia. There are many reports by Amnesty, HRW, LabourStart, Reporters Without Frontiers etc which illustrate the truth about Iran.

Oppose US Imperialism, yes! Oppose any aggression towards Iran But dont believe the lies that are spoonfed to you by the supporters of the Iranian Dictatorship. Iran is a capitalist dictatorship which borders on fascism.

short repyl to ... Democracy does not exist

Mon Apr 28, 2008 21:21

democracy like so many words (socialism, communism, anarchy,etc) does not exist perfectly anywhere in the world but i would much rather live in ireland, america, britian than in iran.

where does the religious police exist? where are gay men and women hung in public for simply being gay? where are police entering places because unmarried men and women gather? where are there rules for colthes for women to wear? where is there internet censorship....................there is no indymedia iran!

The Truth

Tue May 06, 2008 11:52

None of my above comments are Anti-Islamic.

Everything I have published is true.

One of your above links is to a story written by yourself. The other is to a story in which the headlines merely states that the Conservatives claim victory, it doesnt say the elections were fair.

Fact 1: Iran is ruled by a Religious Dictatorship. Only those approved by a council of Islamic Clergymen are allowed to stand for election to parliament or to the presidency.

Fact 2: 1,700 reformist candidates were banned from standing in the recent election.

Fact 3: Unions and strikes are banned in Iran. Strikers are imprisoned and flogged.

These facts are validated by Amnesty International, Reporters without Frontiers, HRW .

Five Haft Tapeh workers due in court

Tue May 06, 2008 15:32

Five workers from the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company have been summoned to appear in court in Dezful city. They are Fereydoon Nikoofard, Ali Nejati, Jalil Ahmadi, Mohammad Heydari Mehr and Ramezan Alipoor. They have until 20 May to appear before the court.

The trade unionists are charged with 'crimes' relating to the strike and other struggles at the Haft Tapeh mill and in Shush city in September and October 2007. That strike was occurred because the state-owned company hadn't paid workers their wages for over several months. At present the workers have not been paid for two months.

The Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network call on all trade unionists, labour activists, human rights activists and socialists to support the struggles of the Haft Tapeh workers by emailing a protest to the President of Iran.

Model letter:

Dr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran

(enter date) May 2008

Dear Mr President

I write to bring to your attention the strike and struggles of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company workers.

Five workers from the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company have been summoned to appear in court in Dezful city. They are Fereydoon Nikoofard, Ali Nejati, Jalil Ahmadi, Mohammad Heydari Mehr and Ramezan Alipoor. They have until 20 May to appear before the court.

These activists are charged with a range of 'crimes' relating to the workers' strike and other struggles at the Haft Tapeh mill and later in Shush city in September and October 2007. That strike was sparked by the state-owned company not paying workers their wages for over several months. At present the workers have not been paid for two months.

I therefore believe that all charges and legal proceedings against all Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Company workers should be dropped immediately and unconditionally.

I look forward to hearing about your positive intervention in this regard in the international media.

Yours sincerely

(enter your name, trade union etc. position & country)

-----------------------------
Please send your protest letters to:

Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
President
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran.
Fax: 98-21-648.06.65
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

Please send a copy of your protest letters to:

Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network
Email: iranwsn@fastmail.fm

Workers defy ban. May Day celebrated. 10 arrested

Tue May 06, 2008 16:32

Workers in a number of cities in Iran held, or attempted to hold, May Day rallies despite a heavy clampdown by the government. Rallies were held in Sanandaj, Kermanshah and Saqez. The planned rally in Asalooye was broken up when the security forces moved in to arrest the organisers and remove placards. Those arrested include Javanmir Moradi and Taha Azadi, from the leadership of the newly formed Free Union of Iranian Workers.

Ahead of May Day, the security forces arrested Sheis Amani, leader of the National Union of Dismissed and Unemployed Workers. Amani is still in detention.

In Sanandaj the event was held in the outskirts of the city as the authorities had refused to grant permits for rallies in the city centre. A resolution, outlining workers’ demands, including release of jailed workers, was passed by the crowd. However, after the ceremony, the security forces arrested seven workers, who have been named as:

Salah Zamani
Shiva Kheir Abadi
Abdollah Najjar
Ghaaleb Hosseini
Ali Hosseini
Bahaoddin Sadooghi
Susan Raazani

Source

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)

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Iranian Junta Increases Repression Of Workers Ahead Of May Day

Comments (11 of 11)