Open Letter to Trade Unions and Workers of Iran

The following letter has been released by Mechanical Metal Workers Syndicate in Iran regarding the labor polices of Islamic Republic of Iran:

The new workers’ year started on May 1st of this year while workers were treated in violation of the humanitarian and legal norms and standards. Considering the violation of the Article 41 of Iran’s Labour Law pertaining to determination of minimum wage, and then approving a minimum wage by the so-called “workers’ representatives” that was 3 times lower than the poverty line and 10% less of the current rate of inflation, which led to the million-strong protest of Iranian workers, a few of Iran’s trade unions, i.e. Syndicate of Transit Workers of Tehran Bus Company (Vahed), Union of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran, Painters and Internal Decoration Workers and the Union of Project Workers, submitted a protest letter to the Minister of Labour to raise their objection against this illegal measure. What happened to workers after submitting this letter was violation of all legal norms. On the evening of April 30th two members of Free Labour Union (FLU), i.e. Mr. Jafar Azimzadeh and Mr. Jamil Mohammadi were arrested and detained. At 10 a.m. on May 1st another two members of FLU, Mr. Shapour Ehsani-Raad and Ms. Parvin Mohammadi who were present in front of the Ministry of Labour along with other workers were arrested. At noon time, 23 members of Vahed syndicate who were distributing flowers and pastries among the bus drivers at Azadi bus terminal were mass arrested, and a few of them were beaten and transferred to Evin prison. The on-call judge at the prison tactfully denied to admit the detainees because of lack of arrest warrant and released all those who were arrested on May 1st. However, the security forces did not stop there, and at 12 midnight of May 1st arrested Maziar Gillani-Nejad, member of the Union of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran at his house, searched his house and while his wife was watching, took him and his personal belongings with them to Sepah’s (Guards Corps) detention centre at Gohardasht (city of Karaj). He was kept there illegally for one week and has subsequently been released.

We ask the authorities: what did these workers wanted, or what “crimes” were they going to commit that justified such treatment? Is protesting against an illegal decision about the minimum wage, in front of the Ministry of Labour, warrants arrest and prison? Should greeting each other [on the occasion of May 1st] and distributing flower and pastries and celebrating this International Workers’ Day be penalized by arrest and detention of workers? Should arranging a gathering for the workers’ families, in a park out of town be responded by arresting workers and threatening them in front of their families? What kind of national security is this that is compromised by distributing pastries and celebratory gathering of workers’ families?

In our country distributing flowers and pastries and going to a workers’ gathering in a park threatens the national security, but in Iraq, which is faced with a wave of terrorism and turmoil, workers hold rallies and demonstrations on IWD to protest their government regarding anti-worker polices and the national security is not threatened! In workers’ culture “national security” means trusting workers, improving the livelihood of people, protecting and improving the social and economic sovereignty, elimination of poverty and unemployment, and respecting the social liberties stipulated in the country’s constitution. Workers and working people, and trade unions ahead of them in every country protect and assure the national security and are the true militants who fight corruption and inequality which threatens the national security.

In those few days Articles 27, 32 and 38 of the constitution and the citizenship rights of workers were violated by those who are supposed to implement and execute these articles. We condemn the mal-treatment of labour activists and violation of the constitution and demand an apology from the relevant authorities and the release of all imprisoned workers.

We declare that we have no complaint against the wage-earners in such state institutes, but we will file a complaint against the perpetrators to ILO. Labour trade unions in Iran will not waive their right to hold demonstrations according to Article 27 of the constitution and celebrating International Workers Day, and will not relinquish this right which is an achievement of our forefathers.

The Union of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran
21st May 2014