Asia/Pacific unions reaffirm solidarity with Iranian workers
123 transport unions from 26 countries in the Asia/Pacific region of the ITF unanimously adopted a resolution on Iran at its Regional Conference held in Kuala Lumpur on 18 June 2009. More than 265 delegates and advisors pledged to take part in the forthcoming Action Day on 26 June by endorsing the demands of the ‘Justice for Iranian Workers’ Campaign. The resolution noted the continued and systematic oppression of the independent workers’ movement in Iran with grave concern and commended every man and woman in Iran who is standing up against poverty and for their freedom. Hanafi Rustandi, KPI, Indonesia was newly elected as the Chair of the Regional Committee.
The ITF Asia/Pacific Regional Conference on 16 - 18 June 2009 in Kuala Lumpur:
NOTES WITH GRAVE CONCERN the continued and systematic oppression of the independent workers’ movement in Iran. More than 100 people were arrested on May Day this year for holding a peaceful rally. Union leaders of the ITF-affiliated Tehran Bus Workers’ Union, Mansour Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi, as well as an education worker, Farzad Kamangar are imprisoned on trumped-up charges;
FURTHER NOTES that nearly two million workers have not been paid in Iran - some for nearly two years, according to the ITUC’s Annual Survey of Violation of Trade Union Rights (2008) - where official labor organisations that the Iranian government has set-up have failed to protect the conditions of the working people for many years;
EXPRESSES ITS RESPECT to every man and woman in Iran who is standing up against poverty and the oppression against their freedom;
WELCOMES the initiatives taken by the ITF, together with the ITUC, EI and IUF, as well as Amnesty International in supporting workers’ rights in Iran, which has culminated in the ‘Justice for Iranian Workers’ Campaign’ with its Global Solidarity Action Day planned on 26 June 2009;
FURTHER WELCOMES the actions already taken by the ITF affiliates in the Asia/Pacific region including those from Indonesia and Australia in supporting the establishment of basic trade union rights in Iran;
REAFFIRMS its participation to the Action Day on 26 June in each and every country of the region;
FULLY SUPPORTS the demands of the campaign set as follows:
* release of all imprisoned trade unionists
* recognition of all independent workers’ organisations in Iran
* ratification of ILO Conventions on freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining
* reinstatement of unfairly dismissed workers.