Vahed action day reports

ITF web site


15 February - Action Day Report

Austria: Members of Railway Workers' Union, GdEÖ and Municipal Workers' Union, GdG, held a solidarity meeting in a bus depot with the Iranian community group in Vienna. FNCTTFEL, Luxembourg also sent its representative. The national labour centre, ÖGB will feature the issue.

Great Britain: More than 100 people participated in a protest rally outside the Iranian Embassy in London. Trade union representatives from ASLEF, GMB, RMT, UNISON and ITF took part in the action with the Iranian community groups. Excellent media coverage.


India: A delegation from the Transport & Dock Workers Union delivered protest letters at the Iranian Consulate General.

Japan: Members of the JRU trade union visited the Iranian Embassy in Tokyo and asked the minister, Mohammad Ali Sarmadi Rad, to release imprisoned union members. The JRU reports that:   "He told us the detained
union members will soon be released, and the government allows the demonstration of workers in front of the Parliament held today. We told him to respect workers’ rights in Iran."

Australia and New Zealand: A letter of protest was delivered to the Iranian President by the National/General Secretaries of the Maritime Union of Australia; Australian Rail, Tram and Bus Industry Union; Transport Workers Union of Australia; Maritime Union of New Zealand; and Rail &  Maritime Transport Union (New Zealand).

Middle East: The ITF's represenative for the Middle East reports protests and actions by road transport unions in  Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, as well as by the petrochemical union in Jordan, the rail workers' trade union in Tunisia, and the maritime workers' union in Tunisia. In Iraq the GFIW (General Federation of Iraqi Workers) have delivered a letter of protest and are demonstrating in front of the Iranian Embassy in Bagdhad.


16 February - Action Day Report 

Reports from ITF affiliates (click on headlines):

MUA Australia:
MUA solidarity with imprisoned Iranian unionists

Teamsters USA:
Teamsters, Other Unions Demonstrate at Iranian Interest Section


Seven more members of the Executive Board are now released. Eight are still detained.

Thailand: Coordinated by the ITF Thai Committee, 50 members of BMTA-SWU, TRAN-U, LU-ETA, SRUT and AOT-SWU organised a  demonstration and a march to the Iranian Embassy in Bangkok. The unionists were received by the Third Secretary, Aliakbar Nazari.  Prior to the Action Day, the Committee sent a protest letter to the Iranian Government.

Canada: More than 100 labour activists took part in the rally in front of the Iranian Embassy. Representatives of the CLC,  Canadian Postal Workers' Union, New Democrat Party and Centre for Research on Globalization as well as members of four  Canadian and Iranian organisations were present.

USA：Teamsters Union and Amalgamated Transit Union joined the protest rally in Washington DC. Some 100 participants chanted  "free Mansour Osanloo now!"

Australia: Australian Unions and representatives from the Iranian community protested in front of the Iranian Embassy.  Speakers from the MUA, RTBU, TWU, CFMEU and CSPU called upon the Iranian Ambassador to send the unions' message of protest.  The Ambassador, however, did not receive the delegation.

Source: ITF website.


17 February - Action Day Report 

The remaining 70-80 detainees are now all released except the following members: Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi, Mansour Haiat Gaibi, Yusseff Moradi, Yagoub Salimi, Ali Zat Hosseini, Mohammad Ebrahim Zat Gohari.

New Zealand: The representative of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions met with Ambassador Kambiz Sheikh-Hamani on 17 February.  The NZCTU reports that "the Ambassador undertook to convey the Council's protest letter to Tehran.  He was hopeful that the remaining unionists will be released very soon.  He also mentioned that the issue in dispute (the demand that the bus company be under the jurisdiction of the better funded municipality rathern than the City Council) has been resolved in the favour of the workers".

Switzerland: The representatives of the ICFTU, PSI and UNI met with the Iranian Ambassador in Geneva on 15 February, demanding an immediate release of all the detained workers.

Norway: The Transport Workers' Union, together with the national labour centre, LO, demonstrated in front of the Iranian Embassy in Oslo on the Action Day.  More than 110 unionists took part in the rally.

Philippines: A delegation of ITF unions visited the Iranian Embassy in Manila to submit their lettet of protest.  Their request for a meeting with the Ambassador was declined.

Bangladesh: The Bangladesh Seamen's Association held an emergency union meeting in Chittagong on 15 February to support the worldwide protest.  A protest letter was sent on the previous day.

Australia

ASU: ASU calls for release of Iranian public transport workers from prison

MUA: MUA solidarity with imprisoned Iranian unionists

ACTU: International Day Of Action On Iran

Austria

OGB: Soziale Situation im Iran

Great Britain

UNISON: Unions to protest at Iranian embassy

Stop the War Coalition: Support Bus Workers' Strike in Iran

Norway

Norwegian Transport Workers' Union: Demonstrerte for iranske arbeidere

USA

Teamsters: Teamsters, Other Unions Demonstrate at Iranian Interest Section

ACILS: February 15: Day of Action for Iranian Bus Drivers

Source: ITF website.