important, not only because it adds tremendous support to
the struggle for democracy and civil rights in Iran, but likely
opens a new strategy within Iran itself for those rights. I am
dismayed by some on the left who support the regime as a
legitimate counter to 'imperialism.' It reminds me of 1979,
when a close friend in the SWP said the same, even after
Khomeini was executing Communist Party cadre.
Of course, soon after, it was the turn of the SWP.
None of this denies the history and current role of the U.S.
and UK in trying to overthrow the regime and control this mass
movement and Iran itself. Life will remain complicated,
there and here, but this freedon movement is obviously real,
under siege by a brutal, repressive regime and has to be
supported, as this international labor federation is doing.
Ed Pearl
----- Original Message -----
From: <moderator@PORTSIDE.ORG>
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 9:54 AM
Subject: Iran: Day of International Worker Solidarity Action Set
International Trade Union Confederation
(The ITUC represents 170 million workers in 312 affiliated national
organisations from 157 countries. http://www.ituc-csi.org)
June 25, 2009
Iran Day of Worker Solidarity Action
Will Be Organized As Repression Continues
Brussels
The ITUC, EI, ITF and IUF today expressed their solidarity with the many
Iranian orkers who have joined the demonstrations in the streets to call for
respect for their fundamental democratic rights. Protests for democracy in
Iran, organized by trade unions, will be held in countries around the world
tomorrow, June 26th.
"The violence against those demonstrating for democracy has left many people
dead and several hundred injured. This heavy repression of peaceful
demonstrations and lack of respect for human rights is completely
unacceptable," said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder. Trade unions across
the world have been appalled at the Iranian authorities' targeting of
independent trade union action in recent years, with workers attacked and
arrested for demonstrating peacefully for workers' rights, most recently on
1 May as they attempted to hold a peaceful May Day rally at Laleh Park in
Tehran. Repression of fundamental rights has now intensified and widened,
with particularly violent reaction by security forces to the many
demonstrations in the wake of the election, and the arrest of hundreds of
people.
In a letter * sent to the Supreme Leader of Iran, the ITUC, together with
EI, ITF and UF, is calling for full democratic rights for all Iranians,
including freedom of association and freedom of assembly, a halt to all
violent repression, the release of all imprisoned trade unionists;
recognition of all independent workers' organizations in Iran; respect for
core labour standards and the ratification of all fundamental ILO
Conventions, in particular those relating to freedom of association and
collective bargaining; a halt to all anti-union repression and the
reinstatement of unfairly dismissed workers.
Demonstrations will be held, among others, at Iranian embassies/consulates
in Ankara, Bangkok, Brussels, Canberra, Geneva, Jakarta, London, Madrid, New
Delhi, Oslo, Ottawa, Paris, The Hague, Tokyo and Wellington. Alongside
those events trade unions in other countries are also carrying out various
solidarity actions.
See the ITUC, EI, ITF and IUF joint call for the day of action:
http://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/Worldwide_protests_on_Iran_tomorrow_3_.pdf
For more information about the action day and the situation of Iranian
workers:
www.justiceforiranianworkers.org
The ITUC represents 170 million workers in 312 affiliated national
organisations from 157 countries. http://www.ituc-csi.org
http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI
* World Union Leaders Write to Iranian Leader
[The four global union organisations organising the worldwide action day for
Iran today wrote to the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayed `Ali
Khamenei setting out the aims of the action day and deploring the brutal
repression that is being handed out to Iranians expressing their legitimate
right to campaign for freedom. Read the letter here.]
Ayatollah Sayed `Ali Khamenei Leader of the Islamic Republic
The Office of the Supreme Leader Islamic
Republic Street End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
http://www.justiceforiranianworkers.org/?p=778
24 June 2009
Global Solidarity Action Day with Iranian workers
Excellency,
We are writing to you on behalf of 170 million workers to express our
solidarity with the many Iranian workers, who have joined the demonstrations
in the streets to call for espect for their inalienable democratic rights.
All human rights, including freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and
freedom of association should be enjoyed by the Iranian people.
The heavy repression of peaceful demonstrations and lack of respect for
human life and dignity is appalling, and the disproportionate use of
violence has left tens of people dead and several hundred injured. Workers'
organisations across the world have become accustomed to witnessing how
scores of workers and citizens are attacked and arrested in workers'
demonstrations, lastly on 1 May as they attempted to hold a peaceful May Day
rally at Laleh Park in Tehran. The many demonstrations in the wake of the
election have been met with particularly violent repression, including
hundreds of arrests.
The callous reaction of the authorities to the legitimate expression of the
will of the people is illustrated by reports that authorities have ordered
Iranian mosques not to hold services for any victims of the demonstrations
over the past few days. This reflects a basic lack of human decency and
respect for your own people.
Weeks before the voting for the Presidential election, the ITUC
(International Trade Union Confederation), EI (Education International), ITF
(International Transport Workers' Federation), IUF (International Union of
Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers'
Associations) announced the formation of a coalition, "Justice for Iranian
workers" and called upon our affiliates worldwide to take part in the Global
Solidarity Action Day on 26 June 2009 due to the continued repression of
workers' rights in Iran. We did not imagine the brutal turn of events in the
wake
of the election.
The brutal repression discredits the current government and your own office
as Iranian citizens and workers are showing their discontent with the
government that you support, in part related to the irregularities in
connection with the election, but more importantly because of the strict
curbs on fundamental human rights like freedom of expression, freedom of
assembly and freedom of association. These restrictions deprive the Iranian
people of a voice.
In these times of deep economic crisis, the impact on Iranian workers and
all Iranians, already enduring economic hardship, has been extremely severe.
Workers have on several occasions attempted to voice their frustrations at
back wages, indecently low pay, temporary contracts, delayed or unpaid
unemployment and pension benefits, social security and poor working
conditions met each time with repression. Many trade unionists remain in
prison for their efforts, including Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi, Farzad
Kamangar including participants in this year's May Day rally.
Those who are demonstrating in the streets of Tehran and other cities are
not accepting such oppression anymore. Working men and women from around the
world and their organisations in the Global Unions add their voices to their
Iranian brothers and sisters, in support of their struggle for fundamental
human and workers' rights. We urge you to take the necessary measures to put
an immediate end to the violent response against peaceful demonstrations and
to bring those responsible for killings and violence to justice.
The introduction of democracy and internationally-recognized human rights to
the Iranian society is urgently needed and is the prerequisite for an
administration to credibly lead any country and to find solutions to the
current political and economic crisis in Iran.
International trade union objectives are clear and remain the same. We are
calling for (a) full democratic rights for all Iranians, including freedom
of association and freedom of assembly (b) a halt to all violent repression
(c) the release of all imprisoned trade unionists (d) recognition of all
independent workers' organisations in Iran; (e) respect for core labour
standards and the ratification of all fundamental ILO Conventions in
particular those relating to freedom of association and collective
bargaining (f) a halt to all anti-union repression and (g) the reinstatement
of unfairly dismissed workers.
The situation of working people in Iran remains the focus of attention for
trade unions internationally, and our coalition "Justice for Iranian
workers" will continue to monitor closely the situation in Iran as it
unfolds.
Yours sincerely,
Guy Ryder ITUC General Secretary [International Trade
Union Confederation]
Fred Van Leeuwen EI General Secretary [International
Trade Union Confederation]
David Cockroft ITF General Secretary [International
Transport Workers' Federation]
Ron Oswald IUF General Secretary [International
Transport Workers' Federation
_____________________________________________
Portside aims to provide material of interest to people on the left
that will help them to interpret the world and to change it.
Submit via email: moderator@portside.org
Subscribe: www.portside.org/subscribe
Search the archives: www.portside.org/archive
No comments:
Post a Comment