In Norway, Fagforbundet (Norwegian Union of Municipal and General Employees) and Norsk Transportarbeiderforbund (Norwegian Transport Workers’ Union) will organise a demonstration in front of the Iranian Embassy in Oslo. HKCTU in Hong Kong has also confirmed its participation to the Action Day. If your plan is not included in this document, please let us know.
Worldwide Update <1> and <2>, 16 and 20 June are attached as below.
<Worldwide Update 2 - 20 June>
The ITF-affiliated Tehran Bus Workers Union (Syndicate Vahed) released a statement on 18 June and requested the unions around the world “to include the human rights agenda for all the Iranians ” on June 26, Global Solidarity Action Day.
Turkish transport unions, BTS, HAVA-IS and TUMTIS confirm that they will organise a protest action in Ankara in front of the Iranian embassy. They are inviting fellow unionists, human rights groups and students to take part. Further action is also planned in Istanbul.
Rail workers of UMT in Morocco will organise a solidarity meeting in Casablanca on 26 June.
In the Netherlands, the FNV has written to the Embassy of Iran and requested for a meeting. Gatherings at the teachers union (AOB) and FNV Bondgenoten on 26 June will reflect the Justice for Iranian workers campaign. Bus drivers are encouraged to support the campaign by submitting their photos to the website.
On 26 June, the French unions CFDT, CGT, FO, CFTC and UNSA will submit a letter to the Ambassador demanding the release of trade unions and respect of union rights. At 12:30, there will be a gathering in front of the Iranian Embassy in Paris. The unions and Amnesty International will address the rally.
BTB, Belgium reports that the union is encouraging every regional section to organise an event on 26 June, in addition to their protest in front of the embassy. The ITUC, EI, ETF and Amnesty International will join this main event in Brussels which starts at 13h00.
The ITUC’s Geneva office will also be requesting for a unions meeting with the Iranian Ambassador to Switzerland on 26 June.
In Austria, VIDA will utilize the “Danube Island Festival” in Vienna on 26 - 28 June to inform the visitors about their activities and campaign on Iran. The union will distribute flyers, stickers and organise a collection of signatures at their information desk. The congress of ÖGB (Austrian Trade Union Federation) on 30 June - 2 July in Vienna will also be used to distribute information. Teachers union, GÖD will be joining these activities.
LARARFORBUNDET is discussing joint activities with the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions.
Canadian Teachers Federation (CTF) is coordinating a demonstration on the 26 June with the other Canadian unions.
NEA will be writing to the US State Department on violation of workers’ rights in Iran and inform the Action Day to their active members. AFT is also planning an activity. Teamsters Union has already written to Secretary of State Clinton.
The International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) has announced its support towards the campaign.
Unions attending the Asia/Pacific Regional Conference of the ITF in Kuala Lumpur has ananimously adopted a resolution to reaffirm their participation to the Action Day on 18 June.
The ITF has also circulate information about the Action Day to the 130 inspectors in ports around the world and asked their support towards the campaign.
<Worldwide Update 1 - 16 June>
In Australia, the ACTU Congress held in Brisbane on 2-4 June adopted a motion in support of the campaign. Unions and community organisations will rally outside the Iranian embassy in Canberra at midday on June 26. The MUA also plans events in Sydney and Melbourne. In Wellington, New Zealand, the unions plan to bring “a brass band, lots of signs, drums and a street play depicting locked up Iranian Unionists” to the Embassy. Amnesty International will be invited to join the rally.
ITF unions in Indonesia have already organised a protest action in May after the mass arrests in Tehran on International Workers’ Day. Transport unions - KPI, JICT, TPK-KOJA, IKAGI and SPKA, together with the teachers union, PGRI, will hold a rally in Jakarta and conduct a prayer in the port of Tanjung Priok. In Bangkok, the ITF-Thai committee, together with the national labour centre, SERC, will organise a demonstration at the Embassy and submit a letter to the Ambassador. They will also visit the ILO Office to raise the violation of workers’ rights in Iran. EI affiliate NUTP in Malaysia will be collecting signatures and sending protest letters. Japanese affiliates of the IUF and ITF, together with the national centre, Rengo, will host a mass meeting on 24 June to adopt a motion in support of the campaign. Representatives of the unions will visit the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo on 26 June to reflect the message of the resolution. In India, the All India Railwaymen’s Federation will organise rallies, marches, demonstrations and dharnas. They will submit a memorandum to the Iranian Ambassador in New Delhi.
Aviation union, ATSSAN in Nigeria will hold a press conference which will be followed by a solidarity rally around the international airport, Murtala Muhammed, in Lagos. Unionists will be handing out the campaign sticker to the passengers.
In London, UK, the TUC, Amnesty International and ITF will be holding a gathering at the Iranian Embassy between 12.30 and 13.30 to demand the release of imprisoned unionists and ratification of ILO core conventions. Trade unions and Amnesty will deliver 16,000 individually signed action cards for Mansour Osanloo and workers’ rights in Iran. Union action is also planned in Newcastle. Rallies at the Iranian diplomatic missions are also planned in Belgium, France and the Netherlands. Seven French national labour centres will organise their event jointly.
