INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:

MORE IRANIAN UNIONISTS JAILED:

Molly has blogged many times before about the situation of workers in the Islamic Republic of Iran, and, in particular about the workers at the Haft Tapeh sugar plantation/refining complex. Here, from the online labour solidarity site Labour Start, is yet another appeal for solidarity for workers sentenced to jail in yet another example about the holy/unholy alliance of the ruling mullahs and the bosses of Iran.

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Iran: Union leaders sentenced to prison - call for global campaign of solidarity:‏
In a drive to destroy the independent union at the giant Haft Tapeh plantation/refining sugar complex in southern Iran, a court on October 12 sentenced six union leaders to prison on charges of "endangering national security."

Their only crime was to lead a strike.

Haft Tapeh workers have repeatedly had to resort to strikes and other actions to claim huge wage arrears and protest deteriorating working conditions.

"The regime is clearly determined to crush the union by putting its entire leadership behind bars," writes the IUF, the global union federation for food workers.

They've launched an online campaign of protest. Please take a moment and send off your messages:

http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=449

To learn more about the case, read this:

http://www.iuf.org/den6280

There's full coverage of Iranian labour news on LabourStart, here: http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/show_news.pl?country=Iran&langcode=en

Thanks for your support.

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Here's the article and appeal from the IUF referred to above. You can send a letter/email to the Iranian authorities using either the links above or the links in the following article.

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Sugar Union Leaders Sentenced to Prison in Iran - Act Now!:

Posted to the IUF website 26-Oct-2009

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In a drive to destroy the independent union established last year by workers at the giant Haft Tapeh plantation/refining sugar complex in southern Iran, a court on October 12 sentenced 6 union leaders to immediate prison terms on charges stemming from October 2007. Three leaders convicted for their union activity last year for "endangering national security" in connection with worker action in 2008 had their sentences overturned on appeal in September. Two union officers, president Ali Nejati and communications officer Reza Rakhshan, both of whom face lengthy prison sentences, were still awaiting the outcome of their appeal when the court in the city of Dezful sentenced the six leaders on the similar 2007 charges.

Ghorban Alipour, Feridoun Nikoufard, Jalil Ahmadi, Nejat Dehli and Ali Nejati were all sentenced to 6 months' immediate imprisonment and 6 months suspended sentences over 5 years; during which time they are barred from union activity. Mohammad Heydari Mehr received a 4 month term, 8 months suspended. Ali Nejati must serve his suspended sentence as prison time, meaning he faces an immediate one-year prison term. Should he lose his appeal on the 2008 conviction, his sentence could stretch to over 2 years.

Haft Tapeh workers in recent years have repeatedly had to resort to strikes and other actions to claim huge wage arrears and protest deteriorating working conditions. The union was officially founded in June 2008 following a 42-day strike to demand long-standing arrears. The Haft Tapeh union is an IUF affiliate.

Haft Tapeh president Nejati has been refused work at Haft Tapeh and blacklisted from all work in the region since being released in April from a month in solitary confinement in an intelligence detention center. The other Haft Tapeh leaders sentence on October 12 have now also been turned away from their work and instructed to report to prison.

The regime is clearly determined to crush the union by putting its entire leadership behind bars.

The fate of imprisoned transport and teachers' union activists shows that the Haft Tapeh prisoners risk prolonged physical and psychological abuse. The IUF urges all defenders of democratic and trade union rights to mobilize in their defense.

Act Now! - CLICK HERE to send a message to the Iranian state and judicial authorities, calling on them to immediately and unconditionally annul the sentences against the Haft Tapeh unionists! Please note that some messages may bounce back - do not be discouraged! Server overload is a common condition in Iran - some messages will get through, making the point that the persecuted trade unionists enjoy international support. The Haft Tapeh union leaders are also supported by Amnesty International.

You can also send a message to the Iranian embassy or diplomatic representation in your country - or pay them a visit! A complete list of embassies/consulates is available here, and you can generally find e-mail addresses by searching the internet for the individual representation in your country.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:

IRANIAN SUGAR WORKERS STILL IMPRISONED:

Molly has blogged on the subject of the government repression of the Haft Tapeh sugar workers in Iran before. The following is an update on the situation from the international union federation, the IUF.

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Two Haft Tapeh Sugar Leaders Still Facing Lengthy Prison Terms in Iran - Act Now!:

Three of the leaders of the Haft Tapeh sugarworkers' union in Iran sentenced to prison earlier this year have had their sentences overturned on appeal.

However, Union president Ali Nejati and communications officer Reza Rekhshan still face prison sentences while their appeal process drags on - and their imprisonment would be a severe blow to the sugarworkers' struggle for an independent union. The charges against Rekhshan include providing information to foreign trade unionists on the horrendous working conditions at Haft Tapeh.

Ali Nejati has been denied work at Haft Tapeh since his April release from over a month's solitary confinement in an Intelligence detention center. Nejati has been generally blacklisted from all work in the city of Shush and the situation for him and his family is becoming increasingly desperate.

Thousands of trade union rights supporters around the world have protested the repression against the Haft Tapeh union and its leaders. Ali Nejati was adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International following the Haft Tapeh court convictions. International protests presumably played a role in influencing the decision of the appeals court to dismiss the ludicrous charges including "undermining national security."

Pressure is now urgently needed on the Iranian authorities to overturn the convictions of Ali Nejati and Reza Rekhshan - CLICK HERE to send a message to the Iranian state and judicial authorities, calling on them to immediately and unconditionally annul the sentences against the Haft Tapeh unionists and immediately reinstate Ali Nejati at his job! Some intended recipients' messages may be rejected due to server overload - others will get through, however.

You can also send a message to the Iranian embassy or diplomatic representation in your country - or pay them a visit! A complete list of embassies/consulates is available here, and you can generally find e-mail addresses by searching the internet for the individual representation in your country.

Since September 9 over 500 workers have been on strike at Haft Tapeh demanding the restoration of the monthly overtime which management has cut from 120 to 40 hours. So low is the base wage that workers have to put in up to 120 additional hours per month to ensure minimal survival for themselves and their families. Cutters harvesting cane by hand in blistering heat work 6 months out of the year alternating with 6 months unemployment without compensation.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to the Iranian authorities.

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To His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei - Leader of the Islamic Republic

To the Minister of Justice His Excellency Ali Larijani

To the Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi - Head of the Judiciary

To the Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva
Dear Sirs
I am deeply concerned to learn that serious charges against two elected officers of the Haft Tapeh sugarworkers union, Ali Nejati and Reza Rekhshan, remain in force despite the fact that similar charges against other union officers were overturned on August 18 by the Dezful Branch 2 Court. The charges against Ali Nejati and Reza Rekhshan are as groundless as those which have been overturned in the case of the other Haft Tapeh officers, and there can be no justification for further delay in unconditionally annulling all charges. We also bring to your attention the fact that Ali Nejati has been refused employment at Haft Tapeh since his release from prison - a gross violation of fundamental human rights, and demand his immediate reinstatement.
Yours sincerely

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:

IRANIAN GOVERNMENT STEPS UP REPRESSION AGAINST INDEPENDENT SUGAR WORKERS' UNION:

The following story and appeal is from the international union federation, the IUF.

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UPDATE!

Union President Under Arrest, Whereabouts Unknown as Iran's Government Steps up Repression of Independent Sugar Union - Act Now!:

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The March 8 arrest of the Haft Tapeh sugar workers' union President Ali Nejati marks a further escalation in government repression against the independent union . Nejati is one of the 5 union leaders who were arrested in December 2008 and charged with "endangering national security" and "anti-government propaganda". They still await sentencing from the trial which ended on February 17, Haft Tapeh Executive Board member Rahim Beshag and 6 other union officers were arrested and detained between February 22 and March 3, 2009, but all were subsequently released on bail by March 7. Four of them were tried with Ali Nejati on February 17 and 23, on similar charges.

Nejati's home was raided by Ministry of Intelligence Officers on February 28 and union materials confiscated. Since his arrest, family members have not been able to contact or visit him and his whereabouts are unknown.

The government stepped up its attacks on the union following a low turnout for the February 24 election to the Haft Tapeh "Islamic Labour Council" ordered by the Ministry of labour. Independent unions are proscribed in Iran, and defending workers' employment conditions does not fall within the remit of the Islamic Labour Councils, whose tasks are defined in Iranian law as essentially religious in addition to "defending the achievements of the Islamic Revolution."

Escalating repression against the Haft Tapeh workers has been accompanied by reports of new harassment against other independent trade union and labour rights activists, presumably to create a climate of fear in advance of May Day and the presidential elections scheduled for June 12. International pressure is urgently needed to press the government to free all the Haft Tapeh leaders. CLICK HERE to send a message to the Iranian state and judicial authorities, calling on them to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against Ali Nejati and the other Haft Tapeh union leaders.

You can also send a message to the Iranian embassy or diplomatic representation in your country - or pay them a visit! A complete list of embassies/consulates is available here, and you can generally find e-mail addresses by searching the internet for the individual representation in your country.

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THE LETTER:

Please see "CLICK HERE" above to send the following letter to Iranian governmental and judicial authorities.

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To His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei - Leader of the Islamic Republic

To Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi - Head of the Judiciary

To the Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva

To Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
Dear Sirs
I am deeply concerned that five leaders of the trade union of workers at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation and Industry Company in Shush were charged on 20 December 2008 with acting against national security as a result of their trade union activity. The five men are: Ali Nejati, Feridoun Nikoufard, Mohammed Heydari Mehr, Ghorban Alipour and Jalil Ahmadi. I believe that these charges are groundless, and that the defendants are on trial for attempting to exercise their basic human rights. I am also shocked to learn that 7 other Haft Tapeh leaders were arrested between February 22 and March 3, that Union President Ali Nejati was arrested on March 8, and that his current whereabouts are unknown even to his family. I believe that these trade union officers are innocent and that all charges must be dropped immediately and unconditionally.

I support the ongoing international campaign by trade unions and human rights activists to promote and defend workers’ rights in Iran and will closely follow developments in this campaign.
Yours sincerely

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:

MORE REPRESSION AGAINST IRANIAN SUGAR WORKERS:

The Iranian government is continuing to try and crush the independent union of Haft Tapeh sugar workers with yet more arrests. Here's a report from the IUF and another appeal for solidarity,

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New Arrests in Iran as Government Steps up Repression of Independent Sugar Union - Act Now!:

The government of Iran is stepping up its pressure against the Haft Tapeh sugar workers' union with new arrests. While the 5 union leaders arrested in December and charged with "endangering national security" and "anti-government propaganda" still await sentencing from the trial which ended on February 17, Haft Tapeh Executive Board member Rahim Beshag was arrested by the secret police on February 22.

Following a low turnout for the February 24 election to the Haft Tapeh "Islamic Labour Council" ordered by the Ministry of labour, security forces struck again on February 28 by arresting communications officer Reza Rakhshan. Both men's homes were raided and their computers confiscated. The charges have not been made public.

Escalating repression against the Haft Tapeh workers has been accompanied by reports of new harassment against other independent trade union and labour rights activists, presumably to create a climate of fear in advance of May Day and the presidential elections scheduled for June 12. International pressure is urgently needed to press the government to free all the Haft Tapeh leaders. CLICK HERE to send a message to the Iranian state and judicial authorities, calling on them to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against the Haft Tapeh union leaders.

You can also send a message to the Iranian embassy or diplomatic representation in your country - or pay them a visit! A complete list of embassies/consulates is available here, and you can generally find e-mail addresses by searching the internet for the individual representation in your country.

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THE LETTER:

Please go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to Iranian authorities.

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To His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei - Leader of the Islamic Republic

To Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi - Head of the Judiciary

To the Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva

To Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki
Dear Sirs
I am deeply concerned that five leaders of the trade union of workers at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation and Industry Company in Shush were charged on 20 December 2008 with acting against national security as a result of their trade union activity.

The five men are: Ali Nejati, Feridoun Nikoufard, Mohammed Heydari Mehr, Ghorban Alipour and Jalil Ahmadi. I believe that these charges are groundless, and that the defendants are on trial for attempting to exercise their basic human rights.

I am also shocked to learn that Haft Tapeh Executive Board member Rahim Beshag was arrested on February 22, and Communications Officer Reza Rakhshanare on February 28. I believe that these 7 men are innocent and that all charges must be dropped immediately and unconditionally.

I support the ongoing international campaign by trade unions and human rights activists to promote and defend workers’ rights in Iran and will closely follow developments in this campaign.
Yours sincerely

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:

IRANIAN SUGAR WORKERS AWAIT VERDICT:

The case of five Iranian sugar worker activists, summoned to a kangaroo court for their legitimate union activities, was mentioned a few days ago here at Molly's Blog. Here's an update on the case from the IUF and a call for further solidarity.

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Iran: Verdict against five union leaders of Haft Tapeh expected in next few days:
Posted to the IUF website 24-Feb-2009
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To read more and help these brave workers click here.
The court hearing against the five union leaders of Haft Tapeh in the southern city of Shush concluded yesterday at 2.30pm local time. The Revolutionary Court said that the verdict will be issued in a few days. All five men are trailed for "propaganda against the government". During the hearing, the union's lawyer argued against this allegation citing that it is too vague and the court has not followed the proper legal procedure.




The verdict against Ali Nejati, Feridoun Nikoufard, Mohammed Heydari Mehr, Ghorban Alipour and Jalil Ahmadi were scheduled to be delivered on 17 February but was forced to be delayed after the defendants and the lawyer demanded the presence of the plaintiff who did not even bother to make his appearance before the judge that day. Nor was there any serious "evidence", they argued successfully.




After this session, another Executive Board member of the union, Rahim Beshag, was arrested on 22 February by the secret police and taken into the custody. His charges are not known. This is a part of the on-going attack by the authorities to crack-down the union activities at Haft Tapeh. Today, the Ministry of Labour pushed for an election of Islamic Labour Council at the factory. Much to their dissatisfaction, a small minority of the workers took part in the voting.




The IUF and the unions around the world have been supporting the Haft Tapeh workers union and this court case over the past few weeks. Upon hearing this brave news of the defendants challenging the Revolutionary Court procedure, they stepped-up their campaign by organising mass protest mails to the Iranian leadership. More than 8,000 people have accessed to the online protest sites set by the IUF and LabourStart in less than a week. Mailing lists by the ITF and Amnesty International were used to support the campaign.




In the past, the court has "issued" verdicts in other cases involving the leaders of independent workers' movement such as Mansour Osanloo but have often failed to produce anything in writing. In some cases, it has taken a few months for the verdict to be delivered.




IUF members stand ready to support our members in Iran and we will provide updated information as this case progresses.

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR-IRAN:

SUPPORT IRANIAN SUGAR WORKERS:
Despite the repressive regime in place the workers of Iran continue to struggle and organize for their rights. This is often met with brutal repression on the part of the authorities. Here's an example, from the international union federation the IUF, and what you can do to help.
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Stop Repression of Iranian Sugar Workers' Union!:
An independent workers union in southern Iran is challenging a legal case against them by the Revolutionary Court and they need your support, now.




In June last year, five thousand workers at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation and Industry Company in the Iranian city of Shush formed an independent trade union following a 46-day strike. Official organizations created by the government (Workers House and Islamic Labour Council) have for years utterly failed to protect the workers and their conditions. The Haft Tapeh workers have had to resort to repeated strike action to fight for their basic workplace rights, including regular payment of wages.




The strike last year began when thousands of workers from every department downed tools to protest two months without wages. A petition to the provincial labour department with thousands of signatures triggered mass arrests and repeated interventions by police, security forces and Revolutionary Guards. A mass demonstration on June 16 by workers and their families ending at an assembly which elected officers of an independent trade union. The Haft Tapeh union is now a member of the IUF.




Now the government is seeking to crush the union through potentially lengthy prison sentences for 5 elected leaders, charged with acting against "national security" in connection with last year's strike and the formation of the union. The five leaders are Ali Nejati, President, Feridoun Nikoufard, Vice President, Mohammed Heydari Mehr, Representative for Industry Affairs, Ghorban Alipour, Secretary, and Jalil Ahmadi, Member of the Board of Directors.




The 5 elected union leaders were summoned to the Revolutionary Court on December 20, 2008 and charged with acting against national security.The IUF and unions worldwide have condemned these charges as groundless and called on the government to immediately and unconditionally drop the charges. . Other independent union leaders in Iran, including Mansour Osanloo and Ebrahim Madadi of the Tehran Bus Union, have been imprisoned on the same charges..




The verdict was scheduled to be delivered on February 17 in a typically despotic and arbitrary manner by the court - the plaintiff did not even bother to appear before the judge nor present serious "evidence". However, the determination of the union leaders and their lawyer turned what was scheduled to have been a perfunctory sentencing into a five hour debate whose only conclusion was to continue the hearing. The next session is scheduled for February 22.




The union thanks all those who have written the government over the past few weeks. However, additional pressure is urgently needed to get the authorities to unconditionally drop all charges. CLICK HERE to send a message to the Iranian state and judicial authorities, calling on them to immediately and unconditionally drop all charges against the Haft Tapeh union leaders.
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THE LETTER:
Pl;ease go to THIS LINK to send the following letter to the Iranian authorities.
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To His Excellency Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei - Leader
of the Islamic Republic
To Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi - Head of the
Judiciary
To the Ambassador, Permanent Mission of the Islamic
Republic of Iran to the United Nations Institutions in Geneva
Dear
Sirs
I am deeply concerned that five leaders of the
trade union of workers at the Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Plantation and Industry
Company in Shush were charged on 20 December 2008 with acting against national
security as a result of their trade union activity. I believe that these charges
are groundless, and that the defendants are on trial for attempting to exercise
their basic human rights.. I am also shocked to learn that the plaintiff failed
to produce firm evidence to prove the case against the trade unionists and did
not even appear before the judge on 17 February when the court was in session.
It is my understanding that the court failed to deliver any verdict that day and
the next hearing is on 22 February.

I firmly believe that the five men -
namely Ali Nejati, Feridoun Nikoufard, Mohammed Heydari Mehr, Ghorban Alipour
and Jalil Ahmadi - are innocent and that all charges must be dropped immediately
and unconditionally.





I support the ongoing international
campaign by trade unions and human rights activists to promote and defend
workers’ rights in Iran and will closely follow developments in this
campaign.
Yours sincerely