Alborz Lastic workers end their strike after the boss backs down

The workers of Alborz Lastic, formerly Kian Tyre, went on strike at 5pm on May 26, 2010. At 9am the next day they held a general meeting in the factory canteen. There were about 500 workers at the general meeting who were discussing their problems and how to continue the strike.

Then the boss of Alborz Lastic entered the canteen. Some of the workers protested against his presence in their meeting and left the canteen. Despite this, the boss began speaking to the workers and expressed regret at the way they had been treated the day before. The boss then had made a definite promise that their wages for Ordibehesht, the previous month, would be paid next Sunday (May 30).

With this new development, and the boss’s clear retreat against the workers’ solidarity in action, the workers carried on with their general meeting and decided to end the strike and return to work at 1pm.The workers of Alborz Lastic have said that if the boss breaks his promise and does not pay their wages on Sunday, May 30, then they will go on strike again.

Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network.
30 May 2010

Source: The Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers

Alborz Lastic, formerly Kian Tyre, is the oldest tyre manufacturer in Iran. It was founded in 1958 as the BF Goodrich subsidiary in Iran and re-named Kian Tyre in 1976 after it was sold to Iranian capitalists. After the revolution it was nationalised and in 1994 it was partly (60%) privatised.  In 2001 it was re-named Alborz Lastic.

For further news on the situation of the tyre workers see the special section.