ICFTU ONLINE... Iran: ICFTU condemns killings of 4 workers 17/2/2004 Brussels, 17 February 2004 (ICFTU Online): The international trade union movement, in a letter to the Iranian President Seyed Mohammed Khatami, has condemned the unlawful killings of workers in the Iranian village of Khatoonabad and the city of Shahr-e Babak on Saturday 24 January 2004. Four people died and over 40 workers were injured when violence broke out at an 8-day sit-in at a plant in the Kerman Province of the country. Workers had organised work stoppages and a sit-in to call for permanent positions and to protest against the use of temporary contracts, layoffs and deferred payment of salaries and benefits at the Nazkhaton’s Copper Smelting plant. Violence erupted unexpectedly when special police forces were dispatched to the plant to break up the strike and sit-in using force against the protesting workers, following 8 days of peaceful protest. The ICFTU continues to collect and verify information on the events of 24 January, collated from a range sources including news agencies, the national trade union organisation, members of parliament and security forces within Iran, and organisations outside the country. Demonstrators came under fire from the police during the confrontation and at least four workers were killed in front of the plant and dozens were wounded, some of who lie critically injured in nearby hospitals. Local security forces later confirmed that the police had fired the shots that killed the striking workers. Following the killings which were accompanied by the arrest of over 80 people, the ICFTU letter to President Mohammad Khatami strongly urged the Iranian authorities to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of these killings. It also called for the Iranian government to open an independent and impartial investigation into the incident. As a member of the UN’s International Labour Organisation (ILO), the government of Iran must respect its obligation to honour the fundamental right of workers’ freedom of association. In an attempt to ensure that this responsibility is upheld, the world’s largest international trade union organisation also submitted a complaint to the UN’s ILO which is due to be forwarded to the Committee on the Freedom of Association. The ICFTU represents over 151 million workers in 233 affiliated organisations in 152 countries and territories. ICFTU is also a member of Global Unions: http://www.global-unions.org For more information, please contact the ICFTU Press Department on +32 2 224 0232 or +32 476 621 018