INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:

IRANIAN SUGAR WORKERS AWAIT VERDICT:

The case of five Iranian sugar worker activists, summoned to a kangaroo court for their legitimate union activities, was mentioned a few days ago here at Molly's Blog. Here's an update on the case from the IUF and a call for further solidarity.

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Iran: Verdict against five union leaders of Haft Tapeh expected in next few days:
Posted to the IUF website 24-Feb-2009
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The court hearing against the five union leaders of Haft Tapeh in the southern city of Shush concluded yesterday at 2.30pm local time. The Revolutionary Court said that the verdict will be issued in a few days. All five men are trailed for "propaganda against the government". During the hearing, the union's lawyer argued against this allegation citing that it is too vague and the court has not followed the proper legal procedure.




The verdict against Ali Nejati, Feridoun Nikoufard, Mohammed Heydari Mehr, Ghorban Alipour and Jalil Ahmadi were scheduled to be delivered on 17 February but was forced to be delayed after the defendants and the lawyer demanded the presence of the plaintiff who did not even bother to make his appearance before the judge that day. Nor was there any serious "evidence", they argued successfully.




After this session, another Executive Board member of the union, Rahim Beshag, was arrested on 22 February by the secret police and taken into the custody. His charges are not known. This is a part of the on-going attack by the authorities to crack-down the union activities at Haft Tapeh. Today, the Ministry of Labour pushed for an election of Islamic Labour Council at the factory. Much to their dissatisfaction, a small minority of the workers took part in the voting.




The IUF and the unions around the world have been supporting the Haft Tapeh workers union and this court case over the past few weeks. Upon hearing this brave news of the defendants challenging the Revolutionary Court procedure, they stepped-up their campaign by organising mass protest mails to the Iranian leadership. More than 8,000 people have accessed to the online protest sites set by the IUF and LabourStart in less than a week. Mailing lists by the ITF and Amnesty International were used to support the campaign.




In the past, the court has "issued" verdicts in other cases involving the leaders of independent workers' movement such as Mansour Osanloo but have often failed to produce anything in writing. In some cases, it has taken a few months for the verdict to be delivered.




IUF members stand ready to support our members in Iran and we will provide updated information as this case progresses.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR:

INDEPENDENT SUGAR WORKERS UNION FORMED IN IRAN:

After a long struggle sugar workers in Iran have finally beaten the theocracy and formed an independent union. The following report shows how the power of the religious state has been thrown behind the employers over the past two years, but at least a temporary victory has been achieved. Like North American Christian fundamentalists the mullahs of Iran are hot to trot about sins of the flesh ie sex, but they either ignore or actively support other sins such as theft ie not paying wages due. Seems I recall this from my youth in the Catholic Church as well. May I hazard a guess that it is the same the whole world over. If and when the theocracy of Iran is finally either reformed or overthrown it will not be because the American Empire has threatened the rulers enough. It will be because of initiatives such as this on the part of ordinary working people. Anyways, here the report from the IUF.

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Iran Sugar Workers End 42-Day Strike by Forming Independent Union

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Workers at Iran's Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation and Industry Company ended their 42-day strike on June 16 by forming an independent trade union, electing officers, and agreeing to return to work for 15 days to test a management promise to pay three months' unpaid wages. Haft Tapeh, an integrated complex in the southern city of Shush, is the country's only sugar refinery. The 5,000 workers employed at the site (including 3,000 contract workers) have had to resort to repeated strike action over the past two years over failure to pay wages and in support of basic workplace rights. Throughout these years workers have been ceaselessly harassed and victimized, with suspected militants subject to frequent arrests and public whippings.

The latest conflict began on May 5, when thousands of workers from every department downed tools to protest two months without wages. A petition to the provincial labour department with thousands of signatures triggered mass arrests and repeated interventions by police, security forces and Revolutionary Guards. A mass demonstration on June 16 by workers and their families ending at an assembly which elected officers of an independent trade union. The IUF has written the organization to congratulate the workers for their courage and tenacity, pledging ongoing support for their struggle.