Strike by Workers of the largest Shipbuilding and Shiprepairing Company in Iran!
According to the ILNA news agency and BBC Persian.com, on January 30, 2007, the entrance to the Iran Sadra (SADRA- Iran Marine Industrial Co.) in its Bushehr Yards Ship Building was shut down by about 150 workers of the company in the City of Bushehr who were protesting the sacking of 38 of their colleagues as well as the short temporary contracts.
According to one of the representatives of workers, Ranjbarian, the strike was spontaneous. Workers are sacked by the employer despite previous protests as well as meetings in the governor’s office to create employment opportunities for laid off employees. The reports also add that despite signing big contracts between the government and the Sadra Company, through joint projects with countries like Venezuela, workers are being fired by the employer. Workers are vowing to continue their strike and job actions because they believe the company’s CEO is responsible for the current situation and that also questions the authorities of the Provincial government.
There has been an ongoing labour dispute in the company. Just very recently, about a month ago, more than one thousand workers of Iran Sadra were returned to work and they received a portion of their unpaid wages.
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The representative of the suspended workers of the Vahed Bus Company:
Expedite the cases of suspended workers!
Ebrahim Madadi, the representative of suspended workers stated that more than a month has passed since the acceptance of suspended workers’ complaint by the Provincial Labour office. He specified that so far the Board of Dispute has reviewed the compliant of 35 workers and 10 others are waiting for their cases to proceed. He added that the Board of Dispute is not acting orderly in reviewing the workers’ cases. For example, Ahmad Moradvand, a suspended worker, received a notification of dismissal which was issued by the Board of Dispute, and it was withdrawn afterward.
The most recent news by the ILNA, on January 31, 2007, reports that according to Mr. Saeed Torabian, a worker representative of the Syndicate, all cases except a group of five have gone through the dispute procedures. Throughout the whole process, the Vahed Company has refused to accept the return of workers to their jobs with the excuse that they no longer are needed despite their years of seniority, some up to 29 years. It is a very clear case of relentless repression of union activism and intimidation of workers. Almost all of the suspended workers are board members and activists of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company, who have been suspended or sacked following the union’s strike and job actions last year.
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran
http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com