Global Day of Solidarity

Date: 23 June 2009

On Friday, June 26, a global day of solidarity will be held, calling for justice for Iranian workers. Four global labour organisations, representing more than 170 million workers, are joining forces to fight for the release of Iranian trade unionists who have been jailed for practicing their democratic rights to form trade unions.

" The global solidarity action will demand that jailed Iranian union leaders be released and that workers' rights to form unions and bargain collectively in Iran be recognised," Paul Howes, AWU National Secretary, said today.

Foreign Minister urged to intervene

The Australian Workers Union National Secretary, Paul Howes, has expressed his support for trade unionist rights in Iran by writing to the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Hon. Stephen Smith MP (PDF) urging his attention to the troubling matter of labour rights repression in that country.

Protests are scheduled to be held in Canberra this Friday at midday outside the Iranian embassy.

World transfixed by Tehran protest scenes

" The world is transfixed at the moment by the protest scenes in the streets of Tehran, and other Iranian cities.

" Ordinary citizens are demanding that their votes be taken seriously, and counted properly, not subverted by the current fundamentalist ruling elite.

" This week's protests outside Iranian embassies across the globe will focus on the rights of working people in Iran.'

Calls for diplomatic pressure on Iran to press for freedom of jailed unionist

The AWU's letter to the Australian Foreign Minister has asked him to raise the troubling situation of labour rights repression in Iran with the diplomatic representatives of Iran in this country.

Paul Howes has also asked the Minister to work with his counterparts in the USA and other democratic countries to press for the freedom of jailed union leaders.

On June 26 union members, in co-ordinated actions across the globe, will be demanding that imprisoned Iranian union leaders be released, and workers' rights to independent, democratic trade unions and collective bargaining be recognised in that country.

Leaders of sister unions jailed, held in hated torture centre

" Iranian unionists from our sister union the Food Workers' Union and the Haft Tapeh Sugar Workers' Union are currently in jail. Mr Ebrahim Madadi and Mr Farzad Kamangar are currently imprisoned, with five more sugar workers leaders recently given one year jail sentences," Mr Howes said.

" Mr Mansour Osanloo, the President of the Tehran Bus Workers' Union, who has been characterised as the Lech Walesa of Iran, has spent more years in the Evan Prison - a well known hated centre of torture in Tehran - than he has been in freedom since he formed the union in 1995.

" Their only crime has been to demand their democratic right to form a trade union and campaign for respect and dignity in their workplaces," the AWU National Secretary said.

Paul Howes said that he believed that defending the rights of these workers is part of the protest struggle for freedom, democracy and economic development in Iran which we have been witnessing since the so-called Presidential elections in that country.

For further information

Contact:	Paul Howes, National Secretary
Union:	AWU
WWW:	http://www.awu.net.au/

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