In an open statement, dated August 27, 2017, which has been shared widely within the Iranian labour and progressive social media and websites, the Haft Tapeh Sugarcane workers’ Syndicate has sent a solidarity message to the 27th World Congress of IUF highlighting serious systemic repression of union members and the Iranian labour movement as a whole (Please see below).
This message was shared openly at a time where we are witnessing a renewed attack by the Iranian government on workers’ rights following the presidential election. The Haft Tapeh Syndicate’s board members have been pressured to stay silent during the recent waves of strikes; some of them have been summoned to the court and Ali Nejati, a board member of Haft Tapeh union and one of the most respected labour activists in Iran, has received a new notice to report to the prison within five day, by Tuesday, August 29, 2017 or risk being arrested. Nejati is expected to serve another six months in prison. He has been arrested and imprisoned a number of times since the formation of the union in 2008. Nejati has made it clear that he will not report to the prison despite the risk of being arrested, which might take place at any time. The medical authorities have in the past made a number of recommendations against his imprisonment due to serious health problems. His heart problems have been serious, and his latest angioplasty procedures took place in July 2017.
Reza Shahabi, a member of the board of directors of Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, also one of the most respected and courageous labour activists in Iran, was incarnated on August 9th and been on hunger strike since then, which is almost 20 days now. Shahabi has been in and out of jail since June 2010.
Esmail Abdi, a well-known member of the board of directors of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association (Tehran), who had been released on bail, was arrested without a prior notice on July 27, 2017 and was taken to section 350 of Evin prison.
These three workers and labour activists are presently among the leading figures of a handful of genuinely independent labour organizations in Iran. Their continued persecution and imprisonment is appalling and outrageous. Labour organizations internationally and in various countries, Amnesty International, Iranian labour and progressive organisations in the country and abroad have all been demanding an end to the repression of these labour activists and the workers’ movement in general. However, the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its judiciary has largely been turning a blind eye to the international demand for an end to the persecution of workers and labour activists in Iran.
Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Workers’ Syndicate has urged UF’s 27th World Congress to draft and adopt an emergency resolution condemning the repression of sugarcane workers in Iran as well as continued persecution and prosecution of labour activists in the country. We sincerely hope that delegates at the IUF’s 27th Congress and other labour organizations in different countries would consider this request favourably.
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran (IASWI)
August 28, 2017
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Message to the 27th World Congress of IUF (The International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations)
From Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Workers’ Syndicate – Iran
August 27, 2017
Dear friends and colleagues;
Please accept our warmest greetings and solidarity on the occasion of IUF’s 27th World Congress, August 29th to September 1, 2017. We sincerely wish a very successful congress for the benefits of workers and labour originations globally. We need to stand together to push back against attacks on our rights and achievements by employers, capitalist corporations and their governments.
Unfortunately, as an affiliate of IUF, we could not be with you during this important gathering. As many of you may know, due to many restrictions imposed on us, including a high security atmosphere in our country, we are not able to freely organize and travel around the world as union representatives. Since our union’s launch, members of our board of directors and active members of the Haft Tapeh Syndicate and many Haft Tapeh Sugarcane workers have been the target of ongoing persecution and prosecution. In recent weeks, we have witnessed the repressive measures against tens of Haft Tapeh workers and our Syndicate intensifying. For instance, over 60 workers of Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company have in recent weeks been charged with participation in strike actions as well as “inciting workers”. In addition, the Execution of Sentences’ Branch of the Revolutionary Court of Andimeshk on August 24, 2017 issued a decree ordering Ali Nejati, a member of our board of directors, to report to prison within a maximum of 5 days in order to start serving his new prison sentence. Based on the notice, if Ali Nejati does not report to prison within a maximum of 5 days he will be arrested despite the fact that, due to his serious heart problems, doctors have warned against stressful conditions. Ali Najati has been sentenced to six months in prison based on baseless allegations . He has been arrested and imprisoned numerous times in the past number of years.
There are reports that tens of other sugarcane workers will soon be summoned to the court because of their participation in recent strike actions. A number of other members of our union’s board of directors have also been summoned to the court. These strikes took place because workers have not been paid for months as well as against the privatization of company which has resulted in the loss of job security and delayed in payment of wages and further use of security forces in the workplaces.
These strikes took place because of the failure to pay the wages and benefits of workers and pensioners of the Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company and in protest against the privatization of the company. The privatization of the company has caused workers to lose their job security, face unpaid wages, and the increasing presence of law enforcement forces in the workplace. Unfortunately, in other parts of the Iranian workforce, the same situation prevails. The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company is also being persecuted continually. Mr. Reza Shahabi, a member of the board of directors of the bus workers’ syndicate, has been on hunger strike since August 9, 2017 in Rajaee Shahr prison.
We urge the elected delegates at the IUF’s 27th World Congress to condemn the continued violation of workers’ rights in Iran and persecution and arrests of Haft Tapeh Sugarcane workers. Your urgent measures, including the adoption of an emergency resolution at the congress, will be very helpful.
Thank you all very much; we wish you success and victory.
In solidarity,
Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Workers’ Syndicate
پیام به کنگره جهانی آی یو اف – فدراسيون اتحاديه های کارگری بخشهای صنايع کشاورزی، مواد غذايی، هتلداری، رستوران، توزيع مواد غذايی و تنباکو
از سندیکای کارگران نیشکر هفت تپه – ایران
۵ شهریور ۱۳۹۶، برابر با ۲۷ اگوست ۲۰۱۷
دوستان و همکاران عزیز،
درودهای گرم و پیام همبستگی ما به مناسبت ۲۷ مین کنگره جهانی آی یو اف، از تاریخ ۲۹ اگوست تا ۱ سپتامبر ۲۰۱۷ در شهر ژنو، را بپذیزید. کنگره بسیار موفقی را برای پیشبرد منفعت کارگران و تشکلات کارگری در سراسر جهان آرزومندیم. می دانیم که باید در کنار هم ایستاده تا حملات کارفرمایان، شرکت های سرمایه داری و دولتها به حقوق و دستاوردهای کارگران را به عقب برانیم.
متاسفانه ما به عنوان یک تشکل عضو آی یو اف نمی توانیم در این گردهم آیی مهم با شما باشیم. همانطور که بسیاری از شما ممکن است مطلع باشید، به دلیل محدودیتهای زیادی که به ما تحمیل شده است از جمله جو امنیتی بالا در کشور، ما نمی توانیم به عنوان نمایندگان سندیکا آزادانه فعالیت و یا سفر داشته باشیم. از زمان راه اندازی سندیکای کارگران نیشکر هفت تپه، اعضای هیئت مدیره و فعالین سندیکا و بسیاری از کارگران هفت تپه هدف آزار و اذیت و پیگردهای قانونی قرار گرفته اند. در هفته های اخیر شاهد اقدامات سرکوبگرانه علیه ده ها تن از کارگران نیشکر هفت تپه و تشدید فشار بر سندیکا بوده ایم. از جمله بیش از ۶۰ نفر کارگر نیشکر هفت تپه در روزهای اخیر به دلیل شرکت در اعتصاب و همچنین به اتهام “تحریک کارگران” دادگاهی شده اند. همچنین، شعبه اجرای احکام دادگاه انقلاب اندیمشک، در تاریخ ۲۴ اگوست ۲۰۱۷ طی ابلاغیه ای به آقای علی نجاتی، عضو هیات مدیره سندیکا، از او خواسته است که در ظرف ۵ روز خود را برای اجرای حکم زندان معرفی کند در غیراینصورت بازداشت خواهد شد. علی نجاتی با اتهامات واهی به ۶ ماه حبس محکوم شده است ودر گذشته نیز بارها دستگیر و زندانی شده بود، و این حکم علی رغم بیماری قلبی ایشان و تجویز پزشکان مبنی بر عدم حضور در محیط های استرس زا صادر شده است.
طبق گزارش های رسیده، ده ها تن دیگر از کارگران نیشکر ممکن است به زودی به دلیل شرکت در اعتصابات اخیر دادگاهی شوند. همچنین اعضای دیگری از هیئت مدیره سندیکا به دادگاه احظار شده اند. این اعتصابات به دلیل پرداخت نشدن دستمزد و مزایای کارگران شاغل و بازنشستگان نیشکر هفت تپه و در اعتراض به روند خصوصی سازی شرکت به وقوع پیوستند. خصوصی سازی شرکت از جمله موجب شده است که کارگران امنیت شغلی خود را از دست بدهند، دستمزدهایشان با تاخیر پراخت شود و نیروهای انتظامی در محیط کار مستقر گردند. متاسفانه، در بخش های دیگر کارگری نیز شرایط مشابه ای حاکم است. سندیکای کارگران شرکت واحد اتوبوسرانی تهران و حومه نیز بطور دائم مورد اذیت و آزار قرار می گیرد. همینک، آقای رضا شهابی، عضو هیئت مدیره این سندیکا، از تاریخ ۹ اگوست ۲۰۱۷، در زندان رجایی شهر در اعتصاب غذا به سر می برد.
ما از نمایندگان منتخب در ۲۷ مین کنگره جهانی آی یو اف درخواست می کنیم که نقض مستمر حقوق کارگران در ایران و بازداشت و اذیت و آزار کارگران نیشکر هفت تپه را محکوم کنند. اقدامات فوری شما از جمله تصویب یک قطعنامه اضطراری در این کنگره بسیار یاری دهنده خواهد بود.
از همه شما بسیار سپاسگزاریم و برایتان آرزوی موفقیت و پیروزی داریم.
در همبستگی
سندیکای کارگران نیشکر هفت تپه
Redistributed by IASWI