Message from Defenders of Labor's Right Association (Iran) to: 104th Session of the International Labor Conference, 1- 13 June 2015

Message from Defenders of Labor's Right Association (Iran) to: 104th Session of the International Labor Conference, 1- 13 June 2015

With Great Regards to ILO & ITUC

We hereby thank you for inviting us to the 104th Session of the International Labor Conference and unfortunately once more with to inform you of the impossibility to attend this session due to the same reasons as previous years. 
As we informed you on previous sessions held over previous years, labor activists and independent representatives of labor organizations are regretfully still either under prosecution or spending long terms of imprisonment.

We Are Hungry .....

In addition to those already imprisoned, on the threshold of this year’s labor day, labor Baker union activists Mahmoud Salehi and members of Urban public bus drivers syndicate: Ebrahim Madadi and Davod Razavi along with Osman Esmaieeli, another labor activist, were arrested and held in detention following judicial cases against them. In addition to the abovementioned activists, Pedram Nasrolahi, Koorosh Bakhshandeh and Fardin Miraki were also arrested with judicial cases against them. Labors from Bakers Union: Yadi Samadi and Esmaieel Shabani both have been sentenced to 5 months imprisonment and 30 lashes for defending their labor interests and claims.
Also Jafar Azimzadeh and Jamil Mohamadi have been convicted and sentenced to 6 and 3 years of imprisonment for their labor activities, respectively.
The long list of arrests and conviction of labor activists does not end here. The representative of Saveh Profile Workers have also been arrested. These workers were on strike for 4 months of back wages.
All the above injustices towards labor activists has taken place amid more than 2000 protests of laborers, teachers and nurses who claim long delays of payments or salaries, sudden and intermitten lay offs, discrimination, and other cases of injustice registered over the last year. For instance Ahvaz Urban Railway workers have not received their salary for more than 7 months and these non-payments have become routine in many industrial and financial institutes.
Considering the fact that poverty line in Iran is now $1000, the official imposition of minimum monthly wage of $210 has forced more poverty and hunger on labor families.

While the laborers are suffering from the most difficult life conditions, they are also deprived of the right to their own independent organizations and representatives. As a result, the Iranian laborers have become one of the most oppressed laborers in the world
We expect from our fellow working-class members present at the ILO conference not to allow government-elected labor representatives of Iran to participate in this session and to investigate the condition of Iranian labor, especially labor prisoners by adopting a special paragraph.
We, hereby, also declare our solidarity with all the labor struggles around the world in demanding their rights and justice. We also declare that we should be united and act in solidarity as one class against the capitalist violators of our rights. 

Link:
http://www.akhbar-rooz.com/article.jsp?essayId=67284