2006 May Day in Iran!

Once Again, Workers were Attacked by the

Security forces, Resulting in more Arrests!

There were numerous events across the country in recognition of the International Workers’ Day this year. Most of these events were attacked or interrupted by the security forces.

In Tehran, the Syndicate of Workers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company had called for a rally in front of the company’s headquarters. The rally took place at 11:00 a.m. on May1st. The area was surrounded by over 1000 police and security forces. The overwhelming presence of security forces prevented many to partake in the rally which totaled about 250.  Workers were chanting for a number of demands, including, the release of Mansoor Osanlou, the president of the Syndicate who has been imprisoned since December 2005, as well as the right to organize independent labour organizations and the right to strike. After a short while, the riot and security forces attacked demonstrators and many workers and student supporters were beaten.  According to a number of reliable sources from Iran, as of the evening of May 1^st, 13 demonstrators, workers and students, had been detained, including the following members of bus workers’ union: Abbas Najand Koudaki, Yaghoub Salimi, Mahomoud Hojabri, Gholamreza Gholamhosseini, Gholamreza Mirzaee, Hassan Dehghan and Gholamreza Khani, Fazeli, and Ebrahim Madadi, the Vice-President of the Union.

On Friday, April 28, 2006, over two thousand workers from Iran Khodro, Saipa, Metal Workers and Tehran bus workers union participated in an event in celebration of the International Workers’ Day in Khour area near Tehran. The event included speeches and social and recreational activities. No police interventions were reported.

The Iranian regime is most sensitive towards any gatherings and demonstrations in cities particularly on the streets because any labour protest in such cities as Tehran or Sanandaj are quickly joined by other workers and  dissatisfied masses particularly students. In Sanandaj, for instance, the security forces attacked participants in a large May Day gathering on the streets on May 1^st. Many were arrested but demonstrators forced the security forces to release all detainees. In Saqez, the security forces attempted to shut down the independent May Day event in the city, but the large number of participants deterred them from doing so; however, they blockaded the area to prevent further participation of people in the event.

The only permitted gathering on May Day was organized by the government-affiliated Workers’ House (WH). WH had begun organizing forcefully for this event a while ago with the hope of bringing people from various cities to a rally in front of old US embassy in Tehran, in support of the Iranian regime and its nuclear programs. The demonstration, however, soon turned into a protest by participating workers for their demands including the payment of overdue wages, job security, against lay offs, for an end to temporary contract laws as well as the right to organize and strike. Although workers in Iran are strongly opposing any military intervention and war, they are confronting the government to provide jobs, adequate income and food and democratic rights rather than spending billions of dollars on nuclear energy and militarization of the country.

More reports on May Day events in Iran will follow.

International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran

alliance@workers-iran.org

info@workers-iran.org

May 1, 2006