Iran: 5,000 sugar cane workers on strike!
Around 5,000 workers at Haft–Tapeh sugar cane Company in the Khuzestan province of Iran have been on strike since 5 May 2008. The strike action has brought the whole company to a standstill. Haft-Tapeh workers have continued their strike action since then, despite brutal attacks by the security and Special Forces of Iran's Islamist regime.
On 25 May 2008, workers and their families gathered in a peaceful protest in front of the Governor's Office in city of Shoosh. The security forces tried to disperse the gathering by using violence against the crowd.
The following day protests continued. Marching through the streets in their thousands, the crowd were chanting slogans such as: “Shame on the security forces, shame”; “monthly pay is our absolute right”; “incompetent Governor, resign, resign”; and “the workers are prepared to die than accept humiliation”
The security forces and special guard then brutally attacked the protesters, as a result of which many were injured and around ten people were arrested and taken to a secret location.
Since those brutal attacks, workers have returned to the factory and continued their strike.
The demand of Haft-Tapeh sugar cane workers are as follows:
- Release of arrested workers and the dropping of all charges against theme and other labour activists;
- The setting up of an independent syndicate (trade union);
- Payment of three months unpaid wages;
- The sacking of the general manger of the company, a mullah called Yaghoob Shafiee, and the whole management committee;
- The sacking company's security chief, Zibdari;
- An end to legal proceedings against the workers.
Haft-Tapeh workers have called on labour organisations, trade unions, human right organisations to support their rights and demands.
We stand with the Haft-Tapeh workers in their fight and fully support their demands. At same time we utterly condemn barbaric suppression of workers by Iran's reactionary Islamic regime.
International Alliance in Support of Workers In Iran- UK
BM Box 2699, London WC1N 3XX, UK