Letter of Iran Khodro workers to the ILO

From: The workers of Iran Khodro.
Subject: In a letter to the ILO Conference Iran Khodro workers demand the reinstatement of their sacked workmates.

The workers of Iran Khodro have written a letter to the International Labour Conference demanding that their sacked workmates be reinstated.

Dear Director-General and honourable participants of the International Labour Conference.

Greetings,

During the past few weeks the Iran Khodro Company has sacked dozens of our workmates and handed them over to the security police. The reason for this is that on 8 March 2006 they went on strike protesting against non-payment of their wages by.

It is around two months that a number of workers accused of taking part in a strike have been sacked from work and now face an uncertain future. The Labour Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran has not in any way reacted towards these dismissals. The so-called labour organisations have stayed quiet and have approved the firing of workers.

Dear Director-General and honourable participants,

This is not the first time that the management of the Iran Khodro vehicle manufacturing company, which employs more than 35,000 workers, has trampled on the most basic rights of the workers and has sacked dozens of them for the offence of taking part in a strike. This company does not abide by any laws and flouts international labour laws and stifles any type of strike or protest. It prevents the formation of any type of free workers' organisation and even prevents the formation of an Islamic Labour Council, which is a government body. The following are further examples of the management's abuses:

• the attack in 2002 on workers protesting against the bar formation of the Islamic Labour Council,
• the sacking of 16 workers in 2003 accused of protesting against difficult working conditions,
• the arrest of Parviz Salarvand in 2005 for the offence of protesting against compulsory overtime on public holidays and Fridays,
• the arrest of Afshin Bahrami accused of solidarity with the workers of the Vahed Bus Company,
• the sacking of over 500 Ehyaye Gostar Sabzoo vehicle workers working in the Iran Khodro Diesel Company,
• and endangering the economic and job security of workers by using temporary workers and using contractors to hire workers for carrying out work of a permanent nature.

Flouting safety standards in the workplace has so far led to the deaths of a number of workers in this company. This can be called a violation of the basic rights of the workers.

Dear Director-General, according to international labour laws taking part in a strike is not a crime. Our workmates have not committed any crime. They have gone on strike, which they consider as their absolute right for getting their rights. They should therefore not have been fired. We ask you to do your utmost to help our sacked workmates return to work. Compel the government of Iran to:

• observe workers rights,
• not prevent the formation of free workers' organisations,
• not arrest and jail workers for the offence of going on strikes and forming workers' organisations,
• respect the conventions of the International Labour Organisation.

Dear Director-General and honourable participants,

We, the workers of Iran Khodro Company, demand the immediate return of our workmates to work. We condemn any violation of workers' rights. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Mansoor Ossalou, the imprisoned leader of the Vahed Bus Company trade union.

A group of Iran Khodro workers
30 May 2006

Copy to: The General Secretary of the ICFTU.

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