IRAN: The regime imposes fraud through repression

IRAN: The regime imposes fraud through repression
By Claudia Cinatti

From http://www.ft-ci.org
La Verdad Obrera Nº 331 / International
Thursday, June 25, 2009

After ten days of massive mobilizations, the repressive apparatus of the Iranian regime seems to have restored order, temporarily, in the streets of Tehran.

In his sermon on June 19, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, reaffirmed his alignment with Ahmadinejad and announced that he had decided to put an end to the movement under way, saying that he was not going to tolerate the protests any more and threatening a "bloodbath."

Read more at: http://my.opera.com/trotskist/blog/iran-repression

Message of the Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers to Iranian workers

[From the web, it is impossible to know how many workers are represented by the Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, but this union has an honorable record of participating in coalitions inside Iran that demand rights for workers. The text that follows is courtesy of the Iranian Workers Solidarity Network (IWSN), a very worthwhile organization that promotes campaigns worldwide against the repression that the Iranian theocratic government uses to victimize Iranian workers. The webpage of the IWSN is http://www.iwsn.org/ --YM]

Message of the Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers to Iranian workers

Forty-eight days have passed since the suppression and arrests of the workers’ gathering on International Labour Day - May Day. During this time important events have taken place and have caused widespread and amazing changes in the social movement of the country.

During their televised debates the presidential election candidates accused each other of violating the citizens’ rights, embezzlement, theft, mismanagement, and incompetence. But none of them had any objection to the laws that have allowed the disastrous events affecting the majority of the population. None of them had any objection to the law that takes away a worker’s right to strike, sets his wages at a quarter of the poverty line, takes away his right to [form] organisations, allows mass lay-offs, the signing of blank contracts and forces a one-month temporary contract on him.

On the issues of the freedom of speech, the freedom to dress [as you choose], and tens and hundreds of inhuman case that today govern society, they did not say a word, and if they did point to cases in a superficial way, every one of them was an attempt [by the candidate] to clear himself and accuse the other, as if his opponent has been more strict than himself. In all those debates, clearly and in confronting each other, the candidates themselves proved that they accept all the present laws and conditions and that their only quarrel is on snatching power from their opponent.

Therefore, we workers, under the present conditions, when social protests have taken the form of a mass and huge movement that has come on the scene to achieve its demands, it is our right to turn the leaflet with the demands of our fellow working class people, into our banner and to raise it. These demands are as follows:

1- Immediate increase in the minimum wage to over 1 million tomans [$1010] a month.

2- An end to temporary contracts and new forms of work contracts.

3- The disbanding of the Labour House and the Islamic Labour Councils as government organisations in the factories and workshops, and the setting up of shoras [councils] and other workers’ organisations independent from the government.

4- Immediate payment of workers’ unpaid wages without any excuses.

5- An end to laying-off workers and payment of adequate unemployment insurance to all unemployed workers.

6- The immediate release of all political prisoners including the workers arrested on May Day, Jafar Azimzadeh, Gholamreza Khani, Said Yuzi, Said Rostami, Mehdi Farahi-Shandiz, Kaveh Mozafari, Mansour Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi, and an end to surveillance and harassment of workers and labour leaders.

7- The right to strike, protest, assemble and the freedom of speech and the press are the workers’ absolute right.

8- An end to sexual discrimination, child labour and the sacking of foreign workers.

Workers! Today we have a duty to intervene, to pose our demands independently and by relying on our own united strength, together with other sections of society, to work towards achieving our human rights

The Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers

18 June 2009

Translated by Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network

IRAN: Vahed bus drivers union condemns repression, supports mass movement against Ahmadinejad

[In the following statement from the web, "Syndicate" means workers' union. The Vahed bus drivers' union is a combative workers' organization. More information about this union can be found at http://www.iwsn.org/campaigns/bus.htm --YM]

Vahed Syndicate – Any Suppression or threat of civil liberty condemned
18 June Statement
Any Suppression or threat of civil liberty condemned

In line with the recognition of the labour rights, we request that June 26 Action Day – Justice for Iranian workers – to include the human rights of all Iranians who have been deprived of their rights.

In recent days, we continue witnessing the magnificent demonstration of millions of people from all ages, genders, and national and religious minorities in Iran. They request that their basic human rights, particularly the right to freedom and to choose independently and without deception be recognized. These rights are not only constitutional in most of the countries, but also have been protected against all odds.

Amid such turmoil, one witnesses threats, arrests, murders and brutal suppression that one fears only to escalate on all its aspects, resulting in more innocent bloodshed, more protests, and certainly no retreats. The Iranian society is facing a deep political-economical crisis. Million-strong silent protests, ironically loud with un-spoken words, have turned into iconic stature and are expanding from all sides. These protests demand reaction from each and every responsible individual and institution.

As previously expressed in a statement published on-line in May of this year, since Syndicate Vahed does not view any of the candidates support the activities of the workers’ organizations in Iran, it would not endorse any presidential candidate in the election. Vahed members nevertheless have the right to participate or not to participate in the elections and vote for their individually selected candidate.

Moreover, the fact remains that demands of almost an absolute majority of the Iranians go far beyond the demands of a particular group. In the past, we have emphasized that until the freedom of choice and right to organize are not recognized, talk of any social or particular right would be more of a mockery than a reality.

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company fully supports this movement of Iranian people to build a free and independent civil society and condemns any violence and oppression.

In line with the recognition of the labour rights, the Syndicate requests that June 26 which has been called by the International Trade Unions Organization ‘Day of action’ for justice for Iranian workers to include the human rights of all Iranians who have been deprived of their rights.

With hope for freedom and equality

The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company

18 June 2009

Shout it from the rooftops! Workers in IRAN support the mass movement against Ahmadinejad!!

Reports on the web indicate that on Thursday, June 18, the Vahed Bus Drivers union, representing one of the most combative groups in the workers' movement in Iran, issued a statement in support of the mass movement. This union statement recognizes “the magnificent demonstration of millions of people from all ages, genders, and national and religious minorities in Iran” and states clearly that “the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company fully supports this movement of Iranian people to build a free and independent civil society and condemns any violence and oppression.”

In addition, workers at the gigantic Khodro auto factory, the biggest in the Middle East, having almost 100,000 workers, took action on Thursday, June 18, in support of the mass movement. The striking autoworkers' statement follows:

“We declare our solidarity with the movement of the people of Iran.

“Autoworker, Fellow Laborers (Laborer Friends): What we witness today, is an insult to the intelligence of the people, and disregard for their votes, the trampling of the principles of the Constitution by the government. It is our duty to join this people's movement.

“We the workers of Iran Khodro, Thursday 28/3/88 in each working shift will stop working for half an hour to protest the suppression of students, workers, women, and the Constitution and declare our solidarity with the movement of the people of Iran. The morning and afternoon shifts from 10 to 10:30. The night shift from 3 to 3:30.

“Laborers of Iran Khodro”

Thus, class-consicous workers in Iran have answered all those who claim the heroic mass movement in that country is somehow a result of imperialist manipulation. -- Yosef M

IRAN: Rebellion and political crisis

After the presidential elections--IRAN: rebellion and political crisis
Saturday, 20. June 2009, 01:51:56

La Verdad Obrera 330/International
Thursday, June 18, 2009
By Claudia Cinatti

Since current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was awarded a spectacular victory in the June 12 presidential elections, with 63% of the votes against 34% for his rival, the "reformist" Mousavi, the streets of Tehran and the main cities of the country have been changed into the stage for massive mobilizations, police and para-police repression, confrontations, attacks on university campuses, arrests and death.

To read the whole story, go to <http://my.opera.com/trotskist/blog/iran-rebellion>

Once again, Chávez embraces Ahmadinejad

[Saturday, June 13 From www.presstv.ir]

Chávez congratulates Ahmadinejad

File photo of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez (L) and his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has congratulated his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for the success of his re-election bid, in yesterday's poll.

In a telephone conversation with the Iranian president, Chavez said, "The victory of Dr. Ahmadinejad in the recent election is a win for all people in the world and free nations against global arrogance," Iran's Presidential Office reported. Chavez usually uses the term "global arrogance" to refer to Venezuela's arch-foe the United States.

The call came after preliminary results were announced by the Interior Ministry saying that Iran's incumbent president has won a landslide victory, gaining more than 64 percent of the votes.

Chavez also noted that the Venezuelan people and government always stand behind the Iranians.

In his reply, Ahmadinejad said that, "Despite all pressures, the nation of Iran had completely won (the election) and indeed this victory shows the clear road for the future.”

Before the start of the election too, the socialist leader had wished Ahmadinejad good luck in his re-election bid.

Speaking to supporters Thursday, Chavez called the Iranian president "a courageous fighter for the Islamic Revolution, the defense of the Third World, and in the struggle against imperialism.”

We condemn the bloody repression by Alan García's government

We condemn the bloody repression by Alan García's government
From <http://www.ft-ci.org/>
Declaration of the Fracción Trotskista por la Cuarta Internacional:

We condemn the bloody repression by Alan García's government

We call for international solidarity with the struggle of the indigenous people, and with the struggle of the Peruvian workers and people

By the Fracción Trotskista por la Cuarta Internacional

The violent operation of clearing highways, ordered by the APRA government last Friday, June 5, has left some 50 victims dead, numerous people wounded, and hundreds of people arrested in the Bagua area and other localities of the Amazonas Department, in the Peruvian North. Meanwhile, repression by cops and soldiers and persecution is increasing with the support of the "State of Emergency" declared in the region, and even the access of journalists and doctors is being blocked, in order to erase the traces of the planned slaughter. The repressive deployment includes other regions of the country, to prevent protests from developing; thus, in the region of Puno, hundreds of regular police have been deployed, and in other places, like Lambayeque, union leaders have been arrested. Leaders of legitimate indigenous protest, like Alberto Pizango (President of AIDESEP) have had to flee and are being furiously pursued.

Read the whole story at: http://my.opera.com/trotskist/blog/peru-declaration

We repudiate the repression in the University of São Paulo

We repudiate the repression in the University of São Paulo
From <http://www.ft-ci.org/>
Brazil: Breaking news

We repudiate the repression in the University of São Paulo
By Fracción Trotskista
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
READ MORE ABOUT THE STRIKE IN <http://www.ler-qi.org/>

LET US REPUDIATE THE CRIMINAL POLICE REPRESSION AGAINST STUDENTS, PROFESSORS AND WORKERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SAO PAULO
IMMEDIATE RELEASE OF THE PRISONERS

The USP Rector's Office, run by Suely Vilela, and Serra's government, have shown their true face today, June 9, by brutally repressing the peaceful mobilization of the students, workers and professors of the USP, UNESP and Unicamp. The three groups of the state universities of São Paulo called this mobilization that brought together about 1,500 people, to defend a basic democratic matter: the withdrawal of police troops that have been occupying the University for days, preventing living together inside the campus. violating university autonomy, and as an attempt to hinder the workers from exercising their right to strike, guaranteed by the Constitution.

Read the whole story at:

<http://my.opera.com/trotskist/blog/repression-university-sao-paulo>