Friday, August 10, 2007
Iran: Worldwide Protest update
AustraliaITF unions in Melbourne have joined forces and organised a picket outside the Department of Foreign Affairs to express their solidarity with the Iranian workers. Mansour Osanloo's situation was raised in both the Lower and Upper Houses of the Victorian State Parliament today. (Email report by Vic Moore, RTBU)
Japan
The Japanese trade union delegation visited the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo on 9 August. Representatives from Rengo, ITF, ITF-JC and IUF-JCC met with the Minister Counsellor, Mohammad Ali Sarmadi Rad. They submitted their protest letters, ITF petition and campaign posters and demanded an immediate release of Mansour Osanloo and Mohamoud Salehi, as well as proper medical treatment and access to their lawyers and families. The delegation stressed that the Iranian government must guarantee fundamental trade union rights to their workers as a member of the ILO. (Email report by Mac Urata)
Indonesia
150 activists from ITF affiliates demonstrated at the Iranian Embassy in Jakarta between 10h00 and 12h00 today. After discussions with an official from the Embassy, the ITF Indonesia Coordinator and 3 representatives from each affiliate were permitted to meet with the First Secretary / International Affair Consul of the Embassy. The Embassy agreed to bring the case to Tehran. (Email report by Hanafi Rustandi)
Thailand
Between 10h00 - 11h00, 50 union activists from seven ITF affiliates in Thailand (BMTA-SWU,TRAN-U, LU-ETA, KSLU, SRUT, TG Union and AOT-SWU) gathered and picketed in front of the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok, demanding the immediate release of Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi. Because the Embassy did not allow the union delegation to enter their premises, the ITF petition and the protest letter were submitted to the Embassy representatives through the entrance gate. (Email report by Su-angcana Tungworachet)
Jordan
Bilal Malkawi, ITF Amman Office, along with representatives from the transport unions in Jordan are gathering in front of the Iranian embassy and will be handing protest letters to the Ambassador.AlgeriaThe Railway union has faxed the letter to the Iranian embassy.PalestineThe General Union for Transport Workers has sent the letter to the Iranian embassy in Jordan. YemenUnion members of the GFTW have written a protest letter and will be delivering it to the embassy at 12h00.
Global Unions
A delegation composed of the ITUC, PSI, UNI, IUF and the Coordinator of the Council of Global Unions met with the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Iranian Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Sajjadpour and submitted a note verbale. The delegation called for the immediate release of Brothers Osanloo and Salehi, as well as access to medical treatment, their lawyers and families and protested against the arrest of the five members of the Executive Board of the Vahed Syndicate and the fact that security agents were trying to prevent Vahed union members from gathering at Osanloo's house. The delegation also recalled the responsibility of the Iranian government to uphold the principles of freedom of association in light of its membership to the ILO. (Email report by Raquel Gonzalez)
Nepal
The Nepal Trade Union Congress and Nepal Yatayat Mazdoor Sangh (NETWON) jointly submitted the ITF petition and a protest letter addressed to the Iranian Government through the Nepalese Foreign Ministry in the afternoon of 9 August. The Foreign Ministry committed to send the information to the Iranian Government soon. (Email report by Ajay Kumar Rai)
India
Today at around 11h30, more than 500 members of AIRF-NRMU-HMS gathered at Parliament Street to protest against the abduction of Bro. Mansour Osanloo. Due to high security in Delhi, the police did not give permission to hold the demonstration in front of the Iranian Embassy. After discussion with police officials, they finally agreed to allow a few representatives to the Iranian embassy in order to meet the Consulate. Jasvinder Singh, ITF Delhi Office, together with Mr. Harbhajan Singh, Member of the National Working Committee - AIRF went to the Iranian embassy and delivered a memorandum to the Consular who assured the delegation that the memorandum would be forwarded to the Ambassador and sent to the President of Iran. (Email report by Jasvinder Singh)
Hundreds of activists from ITF unions, the National Union of Seafarers of India and the Transport & Dock Workers' Union jointly staged a demonstration in front of the Iranian Embassy in Mumbai today demanding the immediate release of Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi. A joint delegation from the two unions submitted a protest memorandum to the Deputy Consul General. (Fax report by Transport & Dock Workers' Union, Mumbai)
PakistanThe Pakistan Transport Workers' Federation and the Pakistan Labour Federation staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club calling for the release of Mansour Osanloo and the five members of the union's Executive Board who were arrested today. Representatives from the Pakistan Transport Workers' Federation, the All Pakistan Banks and Financial Institution, GTS Employees' Union, All Pakistan Para Medical Staff Association and the Railway Workers' Federation addressed the rally. (Email report by Haji Muhammad Saeed)
MoroccoThe Road Transport union - UMT has delivered a protest letter to the Iranian Embassy. The letter, which was addressed to the Iranian President, expressed the union's solidarity with Mansour Osanloo. (Email report by Bilal Malkawi and Sahmane Said)
France
The CGT in France has organised various activities following the joint appeal by the ITUC and ITF for a global Action Day in solidarity with Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi. Information about the campaign has been distributed to all member organisations asking them to send protest messages to the Iranian Embassy in Paris. The CGT has also addressed a letter to the French Foreign Affairs Minister demanding intervention with the Iranian Authorities. On 9 August, CGT activists together with their colleagues from CFDT and FO, gathered outside the Iranian Embassy in Paris to deliver a letter demanding the immediate release of Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi. The Embassy refused to receive the delegation and their messages and so these messages were sent by fax. A demonstration was held near to the Embassy, bringing together union activists and a number of Iranians residing in France. (Email report by Hélène Bouneaud)
Russia
The Federations of the Independent Trade Unions of Russia, representing 28 million workers, has sent a protest letter to the Iranian Embassy in Russia concerning violation of trade union rights in the Iran and the imprisonment of Mr. Mahmoud Salehi and Mr. Mansour Osanloo. (Email report by Anton Leppik)
Switzerland
SEV delivered their protest letter to the Iranian Embassy in Berne as part of their protest action in front of the Iranian Embassy today. The letter is the same letter that the union had sent to the Iranian President on 12 July. (Email report by Markus Fischer)
Austria
The Austrian union for transport and services, VIDA, together with their colleagues from the Austrian trade union of municipal workers (GdG) and representatives from Amnesty International and Iranian colleagues participated in protest action in front of the Iranian Consul and the Iranian Embassy. A bus from the works council of the Vienna urban transport company delivered the petition signatures to the Embassy. A meeting with the Ambassador at the Iranian Embassy will take place on 14 August. The Austrian Foreign Ministry has informed the union that they have requested an official meeting with the Iranian Embassy in Vienna to discuss the case of Mansour Osanloo. This evening, an Iranian group is planning a demonstration in solidarity with Mansour Osanloo in front of St. Stephans cathedral. (Email report by Harald Voitl)
Norway
ITF affiliates in Norway have organised a joint demonstration in front of the Iranian embassy in Oslo today. Representatives from the four unions (Norsk Transportarbeiderforbund, Norsk Jernbaneforbund, Fagforbundet and Yrkestrafikkforbundet) met a representative of the Embassy and delivered a protest letter. The embassy promised to send the letter to the Iranian Government. (Email report by Per Ostvold and Asbjorn Wahl)
Belgium
In Brussels, the ITUC and its unions organised a demonstration at the Iranian Embassy. Participants carried posters and a letter was delivered to the Embassy. Media coverage of the demonstration was very good. (Email report by Janek Kuczkiewicz)
SwedenAt 13h30 today a delegation from LO Sweden visited the Iranian Embassy in Stockholm to deliver a letter to protest against the violation of trade union rights in Iran and the imprisonment of Mahmoud Salehi and Mansour Osanloo. The delegation was permitted into the Embassy grounds but the representatives were only allowed to deliver the protest letter to the Embassy guards. Outside the Embassy, there were 300-400 demonstrators from different exiled-Iranian organisations who were waving flags and signs, distributing leaflets and shouting messages. (Email report by Anders Larsson)
Great Britain
ITF General Secretary, David Cockroft lead an ITF staff delegation to join representatives from the TUC, RMT, Unison, GMB, TSSA and the T&G to protest outside the Iranian Embassy in London. The unions were joined in solidarity by Amnesty International and Iranian activists all calling for the immediate release of Brothers Osanloo and Salehi. The ITF petition, signed by almost 3,000 people, was delivered to the Embassy but officials of the Mission would not meet the delegation.David Cockroft told those assembled "We are determined to ensure that all those seeking to defend simple trade union rights are given proper freedom. These are freedoms that are outlined in international standards that Iran has accepted by being a member of the International Labour Organization. ITF Road Transport Workers' Section Chair, Martin Mayer called for trade union rights and the release of Mansour Osanloo.
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