Iranian Workers News

Number 7 – 1^st Sept 2006

Compiled by Majid Tamjidi  for Radio Voice of Iranian Workers

Following a strike by ParRiss factory in Sanandaj ( Iranian Kurdistan) that had lasted 8  days, security and military forces occupied the factory and attacked the workers and their families who were staging a sit –in  the factory, in order to end this protest. According to a report by the “committee for celebrating 1^st  of  May in Sanandaj” government forces tried to force workers to leave the factory and once they faced the resistance of the workers, they attacked them with toxic sprays, batons, and kicks . Finally the security forces brought 3 minibuses to take the workers and their families away form the factory. This report adds that many of the workers got off the minibuses half way and some of them disappeared.

 Workers of  ParRiss  factory had gone on strike on the 28^th of Mordad 1385 ( 19^th August 2006) in protest at conditions imposed by management regarding renewal of workers contracts.  According to these conditions, contracts are divided into 3 categories. One group of workers will be given contracts lasting one year, others 3months while some have 1 month contracts. The employer’s decision regarding the length of each contract depends on the submissiveness of the each worker. Those workers who did not oppose working conditions get longer term contracts. On this basis, a worker called Behzad Sohrabi, who  always protested against pay and conditions, will be sacked in the next few days at the end of his current contract and other workers will only have jobs if they sign a 2million toman (2000dollars) contract with the employer , guaranteeing that they will never oppose working conditions and pay or else they will have to pay a penalty of 2000dollars.  

A number of workers organisations, including the Syndicate of Tehran and suburbs  Vahed  Bus employees , textile workers Kurdistan, group of the sacked workers of Iran Khodro, Shahoo factory workers, Workers in Aloumin, Electrical and metal workers of Kermanshah, the Committee to organise May Day in Sanandaj and Labour activists in the website ‘Shora’ are amongst the signatories of this support letter.

News Agency Ilna’s reports on the confrontation between the security forces and ParRiss textile workers:

Following an 8day protest by workers in ParRiss factory (Sanandaj)  Behzad Sohrabi, a representative of these workers told reporters: “at 13.00 hour on Saturday the 26^th of  August ,  military and security forces equipped with tear gas and batons attacked the protesting workers and their families.” He added :”we have reliable information that this attack took place under the orders of the local governor and Kurdistan Security office  and they dispatched 3 buses to confront the protesters… In this attack a number of workers involved in the sit –in were injured and 2 people, Kaoi Kurd Nassab a reporter with the weekly ‘Payam Kurdistan’ and Ebrahim Vakili the brother of one of the workers were arrested for participating in an  illegal ‘sit in’, disturbing the peace and causing damage to public property. They were later released on bail. An official of Kurdistan Military forces said : we will make an announcement on this issue later on Monday.

Iran Khodro workers support ParRiss strikers

Support ParRiss  workers in Sanandaj

Friends and colleagues

Workers  of ParRiss textile factory Sanandaj  who were subject to inhumane conditions imposed by the employer went on strike on the 19^th of   August 2006.

In an inhuman act, ParRiss managers tried to impose medieval working conditions on workers in this factory. They produced three lists of the employees, classifying them  in three categories , on the basis of the level of protest of each workers  in the past. One list included those who will have one year contract, two other lists of 3months and 1 month contracts and this last list includes Behzad Sohrabi, a worker activist and a protesting worker who faces immediate sacking.

In addition the condition of imposing a ‘guarantee payment’ of 2million tomans  (2000pounds) promising not to cause any trouble or get involved in any protest are means used by managers to force workers to submission .

Greetings to ParRiss workers

The ParRiss workers refused  to accept these conditions and went on strike on the 19^th of August.. Following this strike and the support of other workers, the employer together with Sanandaj Labour office, who form part of a capitalist entity, formed a commission and took the following decisions:

Regarding the right of workers to their jobs and an end to sackings, which were at the centre of the workers demands, side issue such as financial guarantees will be abolished , the right to set up independent workers organisations  will be changed to the right to join state  run work associations. The commission approved the sacking of Behzad Sohrabi and one month contracts were increased to 2 months while reiterating the employer’s right to sack workers.

The decisions of the above commission are deceitful attempts only delaying the sacking of workers. On the other hand the right to join ‘legitimate’ organisations is a total fallacy because under the recent proposals for ratification of the Labour Legislation, these organisations will  be in a far worse state than before in pursuing anti worker policies.

Conscious workers of ParRiss

Over rule the tripartite decisions taken by three fold anti worker groups and continue your strike. Workers in ParRiss have announced they will not accept the sacking of Behzad Sohrabi or any other worker. They have announced they want to set up their own independent worker organisation , their resistance and struggle will continue until they achieve this demand. 

Fellow workers

Let us rise united in support of our fellow workers in ParRiss.

We a group of workers  in Iran Khodro, condemn the  expulsion of fellow workers, the imposition of temporary contracts and support the strike of ParRiss workers. We will not allow employers to impose their shameless conditions regarding the right to work and the right to live for ParRiss workers.

A group of workers  in Iran Khodro

1/3/1385 - 22^nd August 2006

-Following seven months of uncertainty, a protest gathering by Vahed Bus workers brought no success. When the workers sacked from this company took their protest to the offices of Labour Professional and Technical Organisation in Tehran , Harassat ( security forces) in this government office started photographing them. “Ibrahim Madadi” the deputy leader of the Syndicate of Tehran Vahed Bus Workers said: Syndicate activists from Vahed Bus company who addressed various organisations received no replies, in fact in all these offices, officials refused to even register their protests. There are also unconfirmed reports that 55 workers from Vahed Bus company, who were sacked 8 months ago for protesting about lack of independent workers organisations, staged a sit in front of Tehran province, Labour offices, on Saturday the 26^thof August holding placards such as: “Seven months hunger is enough’ , “where should we take our protest?”

According to ILNA ( news agency) 90 contract workers in Lorestan Health Offices, have been sacked.  A few weeks ago a number of contract workers in the service sector of the Health and Medical Education offices of Lorestan province, some with 5 to 10 years experience were sacked and replaced by lower paid new employees.

-Whilst employment of children below the age of 15 is forbidden, the district town  council 11 in Tehran, employs 12 year old children. These kids work near Ghazvin square between the early hours of the morning and late at night collecting recycling material. They have to deliver what they find and they are only paid in accordance with the weight of recyclable  goods they find.  These child labourers say although they do a difficult task for 14 hours with no provision for food, they are paid less than 90,000 tomans a month (90 dollars).

- 200 contract drivers of Sarcheshme Copper mine in Kerman have gone on strike. These drivers whose employment is covered by the semi private contract company “Rahbar”  demand that the provisions of the Labour legislation are respected in their workplace. They are also demanding that the authorities inspect the activities of contractors in this Mine.  They say the employer reduces their salary by 5% when they start work. These drivers buy their own cars however the employer pays them ¼ of what drivers in a similar situation in GolGohar Mine in Sirjan earn per hour. Despite promises by the manager to deal with their protests, these drivers have announced they will not stop the strike, until their demands are met.

-300 workers in Rahim Zade textile factory have not been paid any salary of bonuses for 6 months. These workers were supposed to get credit from the government to purchase raw materials and continue production. However they say the authorities did not keep their promises.  Rahim Zade textile factory has operated for many years and a job there was considered a secure job until it was privatised following the crisis in the textile industry. Although 500 workers from this factory agreed to delay receiving their pay and bonuses since the beginning of the year, they have yet to get any money.

-Over 1000 workers from Chaye Shomal ( Northern tea) company have been sacked since March 2004 and 91 other employees are facing uncertainty.