Updates on Striking Workers of Alborz Tire Manufacturing Company:
· Hundreds of arrested striking workers were released conditionally!
· Workers protesting unpaid wages!
· 10 workers are reportedly still incarcerated!
April 15, 2008- About 30 workers of Alborz Tire Manufacturing Company were released on April 14th after signing letters promising not to get involved in any protest actions against their employer. It is reported that about 10 other workers are still incarcerated
Workers at the Alborz Tire Manufacturing Company have been protesting against non-payment of their wages for the past five months or even more. On April 12th workers had set tires on fire demanding their unpaid wages and that the CEO of company to directly negotiate with workers. In the evening, the security forces stormed into the factory, breaking and bringing down walls of the company (and repairing them immediately after to cover up their acts), and arrested hundreds of striking workers. Many workers were beaten badly by police. For the first 36 hours following their arrests, their families hÇd no news or updates about them. Most of these workers have since been released conditionally. Arrested workers were questioned by the authorities in order to identify the strike’s organizers and leaders. At this time, there are reports that only 10 workers continue to be in detention and 6 fire fighters who refused to disperse workers with hot water cannons have also been arrested. Since the protests took place Alborz Tire agreed to pay two month of overdue wages but still owes workers three months of pay. The attack on workers was so violent and arrests so outrageous that even government sponsored labour agencies ended up protesting against it.
Alborz Tire Manufacturing Company was initially established in 1958 by a joint venture under the name of American B.F Goodridge Company to manufacture bias tires. In 1977 the name was changed to Kian Tire manufacturing Company. In 1979, the company went under the state-owned National Iranian Industries Organization. In 1994 company’s shares were sold to private owners. In 2001 its name changed to Alborz Tire Manufacturing Company. The factory is located on Saveh Road 10th KM form Tehran. The company claims that it is expanding production and its size and is linked to international tire manufacturing corporations. It currently has more than 1200 employees. Alborz Tire also claims that they have a “cheerful and friendly working atmosphere to chance employee involvements participation”(http://www.alborz-tire.com/i1.html). By not paying their employees for over 5 months and beating and arresting hundreds of their employees they very clearly are showing what they mean by being “cheerful and friendly”.
Protest letters (see Sample letter below) should be sent to government officials and to the Company. Alborz Tire can be contacted through:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +98(21)6008030
Facsimile: +98(21)6008038
Website: http://www.alborz-tire.com
Sample Letter
Mr. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
The Presidency,
Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: + 98 21 649 58 80
Email: [email protected]
I am writing this letter to express my outrage over arrests and beating of hundreds of emloyees of Albors Tire Manuafacting Company near Tehran. Hundreds of workers were arrested after security forces stormed into the factory, braking walls and assaulting workers on April 12, 2008. Workers were oly released after signing letters guaranteeting they would not protest again. Thes workers were protesting non-payment of their wages for about 5 months. This is in total vilation of workrs’wage protection and also their right to assemble and strike.
I am writing this to condemn this outrageous act on the part of your government and the Alborz Tire Manufacturing Company. I am calling on you to release all the remaining detained workers and withdraw the conditions on released workers. The Alborz Tire Manufacturing Company and its corporate partners should also be held accountable for violation of basic workers’ rights.
Name
Organization
position
Send Copy of your Protest Letters to:
Leader
of the Islamic Republic:
Ayatollah Sayed *Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Shoahada Street
Qom, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: [email protected] OR [email protected]
Fax:
011 98 251 7774 2228
Head of the Judiciary:
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building
Panzdah-Khordad Square
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: 011 98 21 3390 4986 (may be difficult to reach)
Email: [email protected]
Ambassador,
Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations
Institutions in Geneva, Chemin du Petit-Saconnex 28, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland,
Fax: +41 22 733 02 03, E-mail: [email protected]
******************************************************
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)
[email protected] or [email protected].