ITF message to the Iranian President
Dear President Ahmadinejad,
I am writing to you on behalf of 4.7 million transport workers who are members of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to once again express our deep concern with regards the continued repression against the independent workers’ movement in Iran by your government. This repression includes imprisonment of six leaders and activists from the ITF-affiliated Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed):
Mansour Osanloo
Ebrahim Madadi
Reza Shahabi
Gholamreza Gholamhosseini
Morteza Komsari
Aliakbar Nazariis
The ITF, together with other Global Unions and human rights activists worldwide are in solidarity with our Iranian brothers and sisters. We remind you that Iran, as a member of the ILO, is under an obligation to respect the fundamental rights of trade unionists.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of these individuals. In the case of Reza Shahabi, his family has already paid 60 million tomans as bail. He continues, however, to be detained in Evin Prison where he is currently on hunger strike. We deplore this development and stress that your government is solely responsible for any deterioration in his health conditions.
Worldwide attention is once again on Iran for its continued violation of workers’ rights and its blatant attacks on free trade unionism. The ITF, together with its global allies once again call upon your government to redress the situation by releasing the detained members of our affiliate, Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed).
Yours sincerely,
David Cockroft
ITF General Secretary
CC: ITUC
