Iranian Workers News

Number 5- August 2006-08-11

Compiled by Majid Tamjidi for Radio Voice of Iranian Workers

On Wednesday 9^th of August 2006, Mansour Ossanlou was finally released on bail form Evin Prison. Ossanlou has spent the last few months in prison for trying to organise an independent workers organisation for Vahed Bus employees.

Prior to Ossanlou’s release , Ebrahim Madadi had been called to the prosecutor’s office . Madadi had complained that 55 workers expelled from Vahed Bus Company had not received any reply from the Labour offices of Western Tehran.

- According to the web site Shora, workers from Vahed Bus company had staged a sit in on the 11^th Mordad 1385 ( 2^nd August 2006)  in front of West Tehran Labour offices. around 40 workers were in front of these provincial offices demanding that their demands should be addressed. These workers complained that their protest has not even been registered.

- The soap factory ‘Be Kaf’ in Birjand is facing closure. The owner who bought the factory at a very good price with the  help of  southern  Khorassan province workers’ commission ,  is now considering closing down this factory.  The owner is now saying that he was only interested in the ‘land’  and the factory will be of no  use to him. According to this report , the  owner is now saying he will only consider restarting the production line if he is given a suitable land in the city. He is saying unless he gets this land the production line will be closed and 50 workers will loose their jobs.

- 50 industrial units in Dorood town have been closed down and 700 workers in these units have been sacked. Another 50 industrial units, involved in stone carving are also facing crisis. The new legislation regarding  the way to deal with wages and workers protests is another reason for the reckless sacking of these workers.  In the absence of any proper trade unions, workers in this sector feel particularly vulnerable.

-While the majority of the working class is not covered by the social security , this institution has announced that 50,000 clerics , most of whom in the religious city Ghom, are covered by their social security!

-The situation in ‘Chini Alborz’ and the plight of its workers is unknown. The employer of  Asto company has declared its workers salary to be 150,000 tomans ( around 130 pounds) a month. The factory owner sacked all ‘contract’ workers using made up excuses

and now he is playing with the livelihood of 200 permanent workers in this unit. The owner of Asto, construction company building mobile bridges, has declared that the wages of 400 contract workers are decided unilaterally, and they will be paid 130 pounds a month and fearful of job losses the workers have accepted this low pay.

 
- According to Fars news , because of dangerous excavation and non adherence to health and safety regulation, 6 workers lost their lives in Gheytariyeh ( northern Tehran). A group of workers in Iran Khodro, issued a statement in sympathy with the workers who lost their lives. Iran Khodro workers pointed out in their leaflet that as most families were enjoying a holiday, again the relentless appetite of capitalists for larger profits and the inaptitude of the authorities from the ministry of Labour  together with lack of any proper jobs, forced these workers to take on such a risky task , ‘our sympathies are with all workers and the bereaved families , this isn’t the first of such dreadful incidents and it will not be the last’ .

- According to the site Payam
More tan 3000 contract workers from “Iran Khodro Diesel” went on strike on Tuesday the 2^nd of August in protest at a cut in their wages. Mangers at Iran Khodro have reduced these contract  workers wages by 30thousand 60thousnad tomans a month and the workers stopped work as soon as they became aware of this. The workers protest took a more aggressive tone, when the workers became aware that one of their contract colleagues had attempted suicide. Fortunately this worker’s life was saved . Iran Khodro Diesel workers have made it clear that if their demands are not met they will embark on a more widespread strike.

- Sacked workers from Varamin town council ( a small town near Tehran) protested at their sacking on wed 2^nd August 2006. The contractors working with the local council have sacked 35 workers in the last month. According to these workers  they were not paid any wage sand bonuses for many months. These workers were employed by the contractor ‘Shabnam Talaii Pars’ in the service sector of  Varamin city council.