Workers' Liberty

Solidarity with Iranian workers
For the right to join and organise independent trade unions in Iran
The International Labour Organisation should stop recognising Iranian government appointees and "workers' representatives"
Free jailed trade unionists and all political prisoners
Free Mansour Osanloo Now!

Protest outside the Iranian Embassy, Princes Gate, London, SW7 1PT (nearest tube Knightsbridge) http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl&q=iran%20embassy%20london.
Thursday 22 October 5pm-6.30pm

Independent trade unions are banned in Iran.
Workers are allowed to form Islamic Labour Councils (ILCs) in Iran but these cannot defend the terms and conditions of their members. These organisations are controlled by the government and the employers. They are not independent and free.
Workers are not allowed to meet to discuss their conditions.
Anyone organising a general assembly of workers is sacked.
In Iran leading members of trade unions are sacked, arrested, imprisoned and beaten up for their trade union activities.
Mansour Osanloo of the Syndicate of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) is still in prison.
In Iran the authorities repress gatherings by workers, for instance on May Day.
Alireza Saghafy, a member of the Centre for Workers’ Rights in Iran, was detained for five hours on 28 April 2009, during which he was reported to have been told to try to prevent a May Day rally planned for Tehran.
In Iran millions of workers suffer sweatshop conditions. There is no unemployment benefit.
There is nothing Iranian workers can legally do to defend their conditions. When Iranian workers defend themselves, they put their lives at risk.
Repressive conditions in Iran will get considerably worse after the events of June 2009.
During the June protests the regime arrested thousands of demonstrators. Many people were killed. Thousands of people are still detained. Leaders of, for instance, the women's rights movement have been detained. Many people have simply disappeared.

The Islamic Republic of Iran does not allow free and independent trade unions. On the contrary it violates workers’ rights and many other democratic rights. Why then, is it allowed to be a member of the International Labour Organisation, a body which claims to safeguard and uphold basic workers’ rights around the world? Iran is signed up to an ILO convention on gender equality, yet women workers suffer blatant sexual discrimination, are even deprived of the right to work. Why does the ILO pretend the government of Iran will treat its workers in accordance with ILO conventions? And which ILO convention calls for the banning of free trade unions?
The international labour movement needs to step up its campaign against the Iranian government’s repression of trade unions. We should demand the Iranian government allows free trade unions and workers’ rights. The ILO should not recognise Iranian government appointee as so-called workers' representatives. We campaign for these things to show the Iranian workers that we are 100% on their side in their struggle for democracy, justice and the right to organise to defend themselves.

We will be holding monthly protests outside the Iranian Embassy in London to demand these things — up until the next ILO convention in June 2010. Join our campaign and support our protests.

Called by British and Iranian socialists

Supported by:

Workers’ Liberty
Solidarity movement with Iranian people in struggle
Organization of revolutionary Workers of Iran
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Hekmatist
Emancipated Cinema
No Sweat

Please get your trade union branch etc to support our protest.
iranworkerssolidarity@yahoo.co.uk

Download a copy of the statement/leaflet for the event.

Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=122314907729&ref=mf
Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/41087153@N07/

Solidarity with Iranian workers
For the right to join and organise independent trade unions in Iran
The International Labour Organisation should stop recognising Iran as a member state
Free jailed trade unionists and all political prisoners

Protest outside the Iranian Embassy, Princes Gate, London, SW7 1PT (nearest tube Knightsbridge)
Friday 11 September, 4.30-6.30pm
****** (Please note change of time and place) *******

Independent trade unions are banned in Iran.
Workers are allowed to form Islamic Labour Councils (ILCs) in Iran but these cannot defend the terms and conditions of their members. These organisations are controlled by the government and the employers. They are not independent and free.
Workers are not allowed to meet to discuss their conditions.
Anyone organising a general assembly of workers is sacked.
In Iran leading members of trade unions are sacked, arrested, imprisoned and beaten up for their trade union activities.
Mansour Osanloo of the Syndicate of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) is still in prison.
In Iran the authorities repress gatherings by workers, for instance on May Day.
Alireza Saghafy, a member of the Centre for Workers’ Rights in Iran, was detained for five hours on 28 April 2009, during which he was reported to have been told to try to prevent a May Day rally planned for Tehran.
In Iran millions of workers suffer sweatshop conditions. There is no unemployment benefit.
There is nothing Iranian workers can legally do to defend their conditions. When Iranian workers defend themselves, they put their lives at risk.
Repressive conditions in Iran will get considerably worse after the events of June 2009.
During the June protests the regime arrested thousands of demonstrators. Many people were killed. Thousands of people are still detained. Leaders of, for instance, the women's rights movement have been detained. Many people have simply disappeared.

The Islamic Republic of Iran does not allow free and independent trade unions. On the contrary it violates workers’ rights and many other democratic rights. Why then, is it allowed to be a member of the International Labour Organisation, a body which claims to safeguard and uphold basic workers’ rights around the world? Iran is signed up to an ILO convention on gender equality, yet women workers suffer blatant sexual discrimination, are even deprived of the right to work. Why does the ILO pretend the government of Iran will treat its workers in accordance with ILO conventions? And which ILO convention calls for the banning of free trade unions?
The international labour movement needs to step up its campaign against the Iranian government’s repression of trade unions. We should demand the Iranian government allows free trade unions and workers’ rights. Until Iran does that, the ILO should not recognise its membership. We campaign for these things to show the Iranian workers that we are 100% on their side in their struggle for democracy, justice and the right to organise to defend themselves.

We will be holding monthly protests outside the Iranian Embassy in London to demand these things — up until the next ILO convention in June 2010. Join our campaign and support our protests.

Called by British and Iranian socialists

Supported by:

Workers’ Liberty
Solidarity movement with Iranian people in struggle
Organization of revolutionary Workers of Iran
Worker-communist Party of Iran-Hekmatist
Emancipated Cinema
No Sweat

همبستگی با کارگران ایران

تظاهرات در مقابل سفارت جمهوری اسلامی در لندن، جمعه 11 سپتامبر، 4/30 تا 6/30

Princes Gate, London, SW7 1PT (nearest tube Knightsbridge)

- در دفاع از حق تشکل کارگران در ایران، سازمان جهانی کار باید عضویت رژیم ایران را در این تشکل لغو کند.

- کارگران زندانی و همه زندانیان سیاسی آزاد باید گردند.

- منصور اسانلو رهبر سندیکای شرکت واحد آزاد باید گردد. جان اسانلو در زندان گوهردشت در خطر می‌باشد.

کارگران به دلیل تلاش برای ایجاد تشکل‌های خود دستگیر و شکنجه می‌شوند. در ایران کارگران از حق بیکاری بهره‌مند نیستند. کارگران هیچ حق قانونی برای دفاع از خود ندارند. رژیم جمهوری اسلامی حق تشکل مستقل را برای کارگران قائل نیست. چرا با وجود سلب این حق اولیه از کارگران، جمهوری اسلامی همچنان عضو سازمان جهانی کار که ادعای دفاع از حقوق کارگران را دارد، می‌باشد؟ چرا سازمان جهانی کار تظاهر به این می‌کند که رژیم جمهوری اسلامی با کارگران در ایران بنابر پیمانهای این سازمان رفتار می‌کند؟ کدام یک از قرارهای سازمان بین‌المللی کار اجازه ممنوعیت تشکل و دستگیری کارگران را می‌دهد؟

جنبش جهانی کار باید کمپینی علیه سرکوب تشکل‌های کارگری در ایران سازمان دهد. رژیم جمهوری اسلامی باید حقوق کارگران و ایجاد هر نوع تشکل آزاد را به رسمیت بشناسد. تا زمانی که جمهوری اسلامی حقوق کارگران را به رسمیت نشناسد، سازمان جهانی کار نباید عضویت ایران را به رسمیت بشناسد. ما برای تحقق این خواسته‌ها کمپین خواهیم کرد، تا کارگران در ایران بدانند ما پشتیبان صد در صد آنها در مبارزه‌شان برای آزادی و تشکل‌هایی که بتوانند با آنها از خود دفاع کنند، هستیم.

ما تا ژوئن 2010 یعنی پیمان بعدی سازمان بین‌المللی کار، هر ماه در مقابل سفارت جمهوری اسلامی تظاهرات برگزار خواهیم کرد. به کمپین ما بپیوندید و از این اعتراض حمایت کنید. با ای میل زیر می‌توانید با ما تماس بگیرید: iranworkerssolidarity@yahoo.co.uk

سازمان دهندگان این حرکت کمونیستهای ایرانی و سوسیالیستهای انگلیسی می‌باشند.

نسرین پرواز، 4 سپتامبر 2009

حمایت کنندگان تا کنونی این کمپین عبارتند از:

شورای همبستگی با مبارزات مردم ایران

سازمان کارگران و زحمتکشان ایران (لندن)

مرکز پژوهشی و فیلمسازی سینمای آزاد

حزب حکمتیست

No Sweat

Workers’ Liberty

To support this demonstration email iranworkerssolidarity@yahoo.co.uk

Download statement of support or leaflet here. Please get your trade union branch etc to support our protest.

Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=122314907729&ref=mf

Demostrate this weekend: Friday 24 July 2009, 17 pm to 22 pm
Saturday 25 July, 10 am to 22 pm
Sunday 26 July, 10 am to 17 pm
At demonstrations in London this weekend we will demand:
• Immediate release of all political pensioners.
• Justice for people who have been killed and injured by the suppressive forces of the regime.
• Right for workers to organise, strike, protest and for free speech and assembly.
• Separation of state and religion.

Called by INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE IN SUPPORT OF WORKERS IN IRAN (IASWI) - UK
To find out more, call: 0790 3896 240

* Two minutes walk from Hanger Lane tube station, Central Line
* Press TV is an Iranian state-funded English language station.

In the crackdown against last month’s Iranian protests the brutal Islamist regime arrested thousands of demonstrators and raided student dormitories. Some of those arrested have now been released, but still face prosecution. And the arrests continue. In Iran pre-charge detention can continue indefinitely.

Relatives have begun demonstrating outside Tehran’s notorious Evin prison, fearing the torture, ill-treatment and forced confessions of their loved ones.

Many people — perhaps much more than the official figures — were killed during and after the protests. Students were killed in their dormitories. Some students and other young people have disappeared. Their families do not know where they are.

In Iran protests and workers’ organisations are suppressed. In the recent past people organising for Iran’s minority populations, women’s rights, student activists and trade union leaders have been arrested and imprisoned. Mansour Osanloo, the leader of one of the most important new unions in Iran, the Tehran Bus Workers Syndicate, remains in jail.

Journalists have been forced to say on Iranian state-run television that they were supported by foreign powers, that they are guilty of “treason”.

And the role of Press TV? When one Canadian journalist was dragged onto Iranian state-TV Press TV reported it as “Detained Newsweek reporter comes clean” as if his “confession” could be taken at face value.

Last month, when millions of Iranians demonstrated for democracy and when the crackdown began Press TV refrained from criticising the government and was credulous about its actions. Neda Soltani’s death was said to be “hyped and dramatised by western media outlets.”

We are against all censorship but while the Iranian peoples’ human rights are suppressed, British journalists and commentators should have nothing to do with such a media outlet.

Let us send a message to the Iranian regime:
• We will not forget the prisoners — release all political prisoners now!
• For the right to organise against oppression, to demonstrate!
• For freedom of the press!
• For the right to join and organise in trade unions for workers' rights!

Called by British and Iranian socialists including Workers' Liberty and Worker-communist Party of Iran-Hekmatist
To support this action or to find out more get in touch: 07951450370
Downloadable leaflet here...

Since 13 June, mass protests have shaken the Iranian regime.

Most of the British left, including the Socialist Workers Party, has rightly declared its solidarity with these protests. But this is a major U-turn from the previous situation, in which the SWP said little about repression in Iran and opposed attempts to link anti-war campaigning to solidarity with Iranian workers, women, students, national minorities and others fighting the theocratic capitalist state.

Come and discuss the current situation in Iran, how we can make solidarity and the lessons of the 1978-9 revolution/counter-revolution which created the Islamic Republic - in which the working class and oppressed reached out for power, but were crushed because the left failed to understand the nature of political Islam.

Speakers: Iranian socialist Sam Azad; an Iranian student activist

Facebook event here.