To labour organizations and activists all over the world

Dear fellow workers!

We, workers in Iran, celebrated this May Day as previous years, with absolute rightlessness and deprived of our own organizations.  Workers and teachers in Iran are facing difficult situation. Harsh living conditions, minimum wages below the poverty line, temporary employment contracts and delays in payment of our low wages up to 32 months, all this have forced many workers to lead miserable lives. Under such conditions, workers, despite the dominance of all forms of oppressions and security pressures, poured into the street on May First and called for the formation of free workers’ organizations in addition to other demands. This is despite the fact that the Iranian government has pledged to recognize the ILO conventions 87 and 98 and thus it ought to be committed and liable for the enforcement of these conventions. However, contrary to its pledge to recognize these conventions, the government does not tolerate any independent activities and respond aggressively to all actions and struggles of workers.    

This May Day, workers in different cities in Iran, including Tehran, Kermanshah and Sanandaj, tried to organize independent May Day celebrations as usual under the excessive police control and again, as usual, they were attacked by security forces. However, these attacks were extremely violent in Sanandaj.

On May First, workers along with their families, gathered outside the office of the labour ministry in Sanandaj. Workers who witnessed increasing police presence and feared they might be attacked by the police, read the concluding resolution of the rally first. When the last article of the resolution was being read, security forces attacked the rally’s participants and tried to arrest the event organizers but workers and their family members resisted this for half an hour until the repressive special guards were dispatched. After that, the special guards savagely attacked and beat workers, women and even young children as well, and forced them to disperse into other streets. The special anti-labour guards used pepper and anesthetic sprays and batons.  About 20 workers, who had become unconscious as the result of exposure to pepper and anesthetic sprays or for being beaten by batons, were arrested and taken to the prison. Others who were injured were rescued by people and were treated subsequently. Injuries to some of the workers were serious, as some broke their hands, legs or other body parts.  The intelligent forces are still looking for other labour activists in Sanandaj’s to arrest based on a list they have developed.

We now call on workers and labour organizations all over the world!

Workers in Iran, given the increasing struggles of worker and other communities in Iran, look forward to international labour solidarity and support so we can push back these repressive forces and free all arrested workers and thus follow through more strongly on our demands.

We, workers in Iran, urge you, for the cause of the international working class solidarity, support workers’ struggles in Iran in any possible ways.   We look forward to your support for: the freedom of Mahmoud Salehi, who is imprisoned for participating at the International Workers’ Day event in 2004, the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees of this year’s May Day celebrations, the prohibition of any harassment, persecution and arrests of workers and labour activists, the formation of free workers’ organizations and the prevention of further violent suppressions.

The Collaborative Council of Labour Organizations and Activists:

1386/2/14

2007/5/4

1- The Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Free Workers’ Organizations

2- The Coordinating Committee to Form Workers’ Organization

3- The Cultural and Supportive Association of Workers

4- The Unity of Worker’s Committees

5- A Group of Worker Activists

6- A Group of Freedom and Equality Loving Students of Iran’s Universities

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