International

Countdown to change in Iran

By Eric Lee - LabourStart

In another three weeks, on 6 March, trade unions around the world are holding an international day of action in solidarity with the workers of Iran.

As you probably know, the Iranian government has been arresting workers who have stood up and tried to organize unions -- including Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi, who both languish in jails despite continuing health problems.

This repression is in violation of International Labour Organization core conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights -- the 60th anniversary of which we observe this year. That Declaration states that "everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests."

It is our job to turn that promise into reality for workers everywhere -- including inside the Islamic Republic of Iran.

We have been asked by the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF), which together with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has called for the day of action, to mobilize thousands of trade unionists online.

Please take a moment and send off a message to the Iranian leaders demanding respect for workers' rights and freedom for jailed trade unionists. Click here to send your message:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=339

When you have done so, please forward this message to fellow trade unionists and help us organize the biggest campaign we have ever done online.

Let us send a loud and clear signal to Tehran that, as promised by the United Nations sixty years ago "everyone has the right to form and join trade unions" -- even in Iran.

Thank you.

Eric Lee

Previous ASU news on Iran

"Osanloo sentence 'appals world opinion'" 31 October 2007 - http://www.asu.asn.au/media/international/20071031_iran.html