Mr.Mahmoud Ahmadjinejad
President of the Islamic Republic of Iran
IRAN

Dear Mr. President,

The Philippine Railway Workers Union (BKM-PNR-ITF), an
affiliate of the International Transport Workers
Federation (ITF) based in London, sends this letter to
protest against the harrassment, oppression and
intimidation by the municipal government of Tehran,
against the Union at Sherkat e Vahed.

Mansour Osanloo, President of the Sherkat e Vahed
Union and 8 more officers are currently being held at
Evin Prison in Tehran, charged with illegal union
activity and turbulence.

Mr. President, we appeal to you to intervene and have
these Trade unionist be released from prison. We
believe that the Sherkat e Vahed workers are just
fighting for their rights. Recognition of their Union
and their right to negotite for purposes of
improvement of their lives as workers, there is
nothing criminal in there, what is a criminal act is
when workers are being treated as commodities,
engaging their services but denying them their basic
human and workers rights as embodied in the statutes
of the ILO.

The workers at sherkat e vahed have just simple
demands.Union recognition and Right to Bargain
collectively, these demands will not kill the economy
of Iran nor destabilize the government of Tehran, it
is just a workers right.

We therefore ask your government to:

1. Release Mansour Osanloo and all jailed Trade
Unionist
2. Recognise the right of the Union to Organize and
represent the
   workers,
3. Recognise the right to collective bargaining of the
Sherkat e
   Vahed Union.

We will be watching these developments keenly, and we
are all ready to take action if in case your
government wont heed these demands, together with
other global unions.

Respectfully yours,


Armando S. Cruz
General President
Philippine Railway Workers Union (BKM-PNR-ITF)
Tayuman cor. Dagupan Sts. Tondo
Manila Philippines