Brussels, 25 June 2009 : The ITUC, EI, ITF and IUF today expressed their solidarity with the many Iranian workers who have joined the demonstrations in the streets to call for respect for their fundamental democratic rights. Protests for democracy in Iran, organized by trade unions, will be held in countries around the world tomorrow.
“The violence against those demonstrating for democracy has left many people dead and several hundred injured. This heavy repression of peaceful demonstrations and lack of respect for human rights is completely unacceptable,” said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder.
Trade unions across the world have been appalled at the Iranian authorities’ targeting of independent trade union action in recent years, with workers attacked and arrested for demonstrating peacefully for workers’ rights, most recently on 1 May as they attempted to hold a peaceful May Day rally at Laleh Park in Tehran. Repression of fundamental rights has now intensified and widened, with particularly violent reaction by security forces to the many demonstrations in the wake of the election, and the arrest of hundreds of people.
In a letter sent to the Supreme Leader of Iran, the ITUC, together with EI, ITF and IUF, is calling for full democratic rights for all Iranians, including freedom of association and freedom of assembly, a halt to all violent repression, the release of all imprisoned trade unionists; recognition of all independent workers’ organizations in Iran; respect for core labour standards and the ratification of all fundamental ILO Conventions, in particular those relating to freedom of association and collective bargaining; a halt to all anti-union repression and the reinstatement of unfairly dismissed workers.
Demonstrations will be held, among others, at Iranian embassies/consulates in Ankara, Bangkok, Brussels, Canberra, Geneva, Jakarta, London, Madrid, New Delhi, Oslo, Ottawa, Paris, The Hague, Tokyo and Wellington. Alongside those events trade unions in other countries are also carrying out various solidarity actions.
See the ITUC, EI, ITF and IUF joint call for the day of action
For more information about the action day and the situation of Iranian workers: www.justiceforiranianworkers.org
The ITUC represents 170 million workers in 312 affiliated national organisations from 157 countries.http://www.youtube.com/ITUCCSI
For more information, please contact the ITUC Press Department on: +32 2 224 0204 or +32 476 621 018
Photo: Steve Rhodes
