25 June 2009

Dr. Reza Nazarahari
The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Kulosaarentie 9
00570 Helsinki

Justice for Iranian Workers

I visited on 8 of August 2007 the Embassy of Islamic Republic of Iran together with Mr. Henry Lindholm, the Secretary of Finnish Food Workers’ Union SEL because of the imprisonment of two trade unionist; Mansour Osanloo, the President of the Sandikaye Kargarane Sherkate Vahed (Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company) and Mahmoud Salehi, the President of Saqez Bakery Workers’ Association. We were received by Mr. Seyd Ali Saleh Pour, Second Secretary of Political Affairs.

During our visit to your Embassy we had an opportunity to express our great concern of the imprisonment of the two above mentioned trade unionists. According to the information they have been imprisoned just because of their activities as trade unionists. We left our common letter to be delivered to you. In that letter we reminded you of the fact that by virtue of its membership of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) the Islamic Republic of Iran is legally bound to respect its core principles including the principle of the freedom of association. The Ministry of Labour has repeatedly reassured the ITUC (then-ICFTU) and the ITF that it is committed to workers’ rights and dialogue with the international trade union movement.

It was only a half year since above mentioned visit to the Iran Embassy I next time had to call your attention on the unlawful treatment of trade unionists in your country as I sent you the letter in the conjunction with a worldwide action day on 6 of Marsh 2008.

After our visit to the Embassy and the abovementioned worldwide action day, the situation in Iran has not changed. Trade unionists, like Mansour Osanloo Ebrahim Madadi and Farzad Kamangar, are still being held imprisoned just because of their activities as trade unionists.

Weeks before the voting for the Presidential election, the ITUC (International Trade Union Confederation), EI (Education International), ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation), IUF (International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations) announced the formation of a coalition, “Justice for Iranian workers” and called upon our affiliates worldwide to take part in the Global Solidarity Action Day on 26 June 2009 due to the continued repression of workers’ rights in Iran. Nobody could imagine the brutal turn of events in the wake of the election.

The brutal repression discredits the current government as Iranian citizens and workers are showing their discontent with the government, in part related to the irregularities in connection with the election, but more importantly because of the strict curbs on fundamental human rights like freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of association. These restrictions deprive the Iranian people of a voice.

Those who are demonstrating in the streets of Tehran and other cities are not accepting such oppression anymore. Working men and women from around the world and their organisations in the Global Unions add their voices to their Iranian brothers and sisters, in support of their struggle for fundamental human and workers’ rights.

I urge your government once again to do all in your power to secure the immediate release of all imprisoned trade unionist and to take the necessary measures to put an immediate end to the violent response against peaceful demonstrations and to bring those responsible for killings and violence to justice.

Yours sincerely,

Juhani Koivunen
Secretary of the AKT