Bahnam Ebrahimzadeh Stands Trial Again

HRANA News Agency – Bahman Ebrahimzadeh, labor activist, stood trial for the second time after spending more than a year in prison.During the second trial, Judge Moqayaseh presided over the Revolutionary Court, Branch 28.

According to a report by the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, Bahman Ebrahimzadeh was initially tried by the Revolutionary Court, Branch 15, and sentenced to 20 years in prison.Following his request for appeal and the Supreme Court’s approval, he was tried again.It has been reported that Bahman Ebrahimzadeh’s attorney is optimistic about the second trial and hopeful that his client will receive a lighter sentence.

Bahman Ebrahimzadeh is also an advocate against child labor and has supported the Society to Defend Child Laborers and Street Children.He was arrested in June 2010 and was locked up in one of the solitary confinements in Evin Prison’s ward 2A.Bahman Ebrahimzadeh has been denied furlough since then.

Joint Message from UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO and EI on World Teachers’ Day

Joint Message from UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO and Education International on the occasion of World Teachers’ Day

NEW YORK/ GENEVA/ PARIS, 5 October 2011 – Today, on World Teachers’ Day, we honour the millions of educators all over the world who devote their lives to teaching children, youth and adults.

Continue reading “Joint Message from UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF, ILO and EI on World Teachers’ Day”

Workers of Spinning Factories in Kashan Not Paid for 33 Months

HRANA News Agency – The workers of spinning and weaving factories in the city of Kashan, Esfahan Province, protested and demanded thirty three months of back wages owed to them.

According to a report by Etedaal News, in recent days, the workers of spinning and weaving factories gathered in Kashan’s Valiasr Square in front of the gubernatorial office building and demanded the problem to be addressed by the newly appointed governor.The governor of Kashan has been in the office for only three days.

Approximately three hundred workers carrying signs and placards protested because they have not been paid any wages for thirty three months.

Meat Factory in Ziaran Was Closed

HRANA News Agency – The executive chairman of the Labor House in Qazvin Province has announced the closure of the meat factory in the city of Ziaran.

In an interview with ILNA New Agency, Ayd-Ali Karimi said, “They aren’t motivated to increase production or create jobs, but they have all the required resources to pay over $4,000,000 to workers in order to buy back their contracts.”

Pointing out that there are about 110 workers employed at the meat factory in Ziaran, Ayd-Ali Karimi added, “The Privatization Organization that owns the meat factory has bought back the contracts of ninety eight workers and laid off 12 workers who refused to agree with the buyout.”

By pointing out that the Labor Organization of Qazvin has watched while workers have been laid off and dismissed, the executive chairman of the Labor House in Qazvin Province reminded everyone, “The factory has all the necessary and required conditions to continue work.However, the company isn’t determined to do so apparently.”

At the end, Ayd-Ali Karimi said, “Meat factory workers were all permanent laborers with 15-25 years of experience.”

 

Azerbaijani Teacher Mohammad Farajian Arrested

HRANA – On Wednesday, May 19, 2010, Mohammad Farajian, an Azerbaijani activist and elementary school teacher in Pars Abad, Moghan, was arrested after being summoned by the Pars Abad (Moghan) Intelligence Office.

According to those close to Farajian, on Wednesday, Pars Abad (Moghan)’s Department of Education and Training asked this teacher to visit the city’s Intelligence Office in order to answer questions from the news arm of the Intelligence Office. Security agents arrested Mr. Farajian upon his arrival at the Intelligence Office.

According to Savalan Sassy, on Tuesday May 18, 2010, agents of the Intelligence Ministry summoned this Azerbaijani teacher to the Intelligence Office in Moghan over the telephone, but Mr. Farajian denounced the summons as illegal and refused to appear at the Intelligence Office.

The arrest of this Azerbaijan’s teacher comes after the arrests of two Azerbaijani journalists, Ramin Jabbari and Mostafa Jamshidi as well as Hafez Sardarpoor, Nader Azizi, Mahnaz Karimi and Mehdi Zeynali over the past few days. From these detainees, Mostafa Jamshidi and Mahnaz Karimi were released after one day of detention and the rest have been transferred to the Intelligence Office in Ardebil.

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Ali Nejati Will Be Tried Again

HRANA News Agency – On Saturday, June 11, 2011, Ali Nejati will be tried again on charges for which he has already faced prosecution and served prison time.His trial will be held in Ahvaz Appeals Court, Branch 13.Before being fired from his job, Ali Nejati was a laborer at Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company.He is one of the board members of Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company Workers’ Trade Union.

According to a report by the website of the Coordinating Committee to Create Labor Organizations, Ali Nejati has spent six months in prison for the same charge.After his prison term was over, prosecutors attempted to try him again, but the charges were dismissed by the court since they were repetitive.

After the acquittal, because of the prosecutor’s objection and pressure from intelligence officials, Ali Nejati’s case was once again referred to the appeals court at the provincial capital.

During previous court proceedings, the trail was postponed due to Ali Nejati’s heart attack.Now, he is being retried while suffering from heart failure and the clogging of arteries and is physically weak after having undergone several heart surgeries.

For more than two years, Ali Nejati has been the target of pressure, prosecution and imprisonment for representing workers and being a board member of Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company Workers’ Trade Union.Since he was fired from his job, he has also been suffering financially and has lost the means to support himself.

Once again, Iran’s judiciary and intelligence apparatus is exerting more pressure on Ali Nejati and his family in order to prevent this labor activist to seek justice for workers.He is being tried again on charges for which he has already served prison time.

 

Labor Activist Arrested in Tabriz

HRANA News Agency – A labor activist has been arrested in Tabriz, [East Azerbaijan Province], and locked up in this city’s central prison.

According to a report by Urmia Workers Website, Shahrokh Zamoni was arrested on June 7, 2011 and transferred to the central prison in Tabriz.Shahrokh Zamoni is a painter and laborer who was involved in the Committee to Explorer the Establishment of Painters Union and then became an active member of the Painters Union after the formation of this trade syndicate.

 

The Head of Tehran Bakers Union Resigned

HRANA News Agency –While turmoil continues to plague the capital city’s bakery market, the head of Tehran Bakers Union has resigned in protest to the government’s broken promises.Meanwhile, some officials continue to ignore their responsibility to fulfill such pledges.

According to a report by Ayande News, although six months has passed since subsidies were removed, the price of bread has increased twice.In comparison to the initial value of flour and bread, the price of wheat flour has increased by fifty percent, and the price of bread has doubled, tripled or even quadrupled in some cases.

The Iranian government had previously promised to compensate bakers for the increase in the cost of gas and electricity which are heavily consumed by this industry.However, since no action has been taken so far, Hossein Nazari, the head of Tehran’s Bakers Union, has tendered his resignation.

On the other hand, since the quality of flour delivered to Tehran’s bakeries has drastically gone down, people refuse to buy the bread.To address this problem and in search of attracting more customers, bakers in Tehran have begun using the flour allotted for other counties.As a result, although the official price of flour in Tehran is approximately $14.25 per sack, some of the bakers are buying higher quality flour at about $17.00 per bag.

All this is happening while the regulatory body monitoring bakeries which operates under the gubernatorial control is facing legal hurdles.The Administrative Court has ordered this regulatory body to report to the Governmental Discretionary Punishments Organization, but provinces refuse to comply with the order.

Furthermore, the government’s failure to address the low quality of bread has created serious problems for bakers and consumers in Tehran such that in search of higher quality product, the owners of some flour plants have attempted to import flour from Australia.

Experts from the outset had emphasized the necessity for controlling the price of bread and had offered suggestions such as the transformation of the system for the procurement, storage and milling of flour and also the ranking of bread according to the quality of the flour used in the baking process.Since the government opposed any and all solutions and insisted on imposing one single price for any type of bread, a large number of bakeries are currently facing big losses while others don’t have enough customers or are struggling with the low quality of the flour shipped to them.To be able to sell bread at a different price, some bakeries have resorted to so called illegal means by adding sesame seeds to the bread available for purchase.

 

Brick Factory Workers’ Strike Continues in Bukan

HRANA News Agency – The news from Saroghamish regions in Bukan [West Azerbaijan Province] indicates that the workers of several brick factories continue their strike which began on May 21, 2011.

 

According to a report by Mukrian News Agency, brick factory workers have demanded a wage increase for each one thousand bricks they handle.  Workers pulling brick wheelbarrows are asking for an increase of $3.30 per one thousand bricks while workers who place the bricks in furnaces are asking for an increase of $0.94.

 

At the time when this report was being prepared, brick factory employers were not willing to accept the demand made by workers.  Meanwhile, brick factory workers have also announced that until their requests are met, they will continue their strike.

 

Textile Workers in Kashan Protested Again

HRANA News Agency – Workers of the Spinning and Weaving Textile Company in Kashan gathered in a rally to protest in front of gubernatorial building and demanded their weekly wages promised to them by their employer.  The Spinning and Weaving Textile Company had agreed to pay the workers $40 a week, the amount equal to 1/6 of a worker’s monthly wages.

 

A number of workers spoke with ILNA [Iranian Labour News Agency] in Kashan and said, “The Company owes us 32 months of back wages.  We used to get paid $80 a week, but our wages were cut down to only $40.00 per week.  Since the beginning of this year [March 21, 2011], they even don’t pay us that amount.  We haven’t received a penny from them.”

 

During their rally, workers asked the authorities to follow up and take the necessary steps to quickly pay them their back wages for the last 32 months and also resolve the problems and concerns related to the retirement of 400 workers in this company.

 

The protesters blocked the main street in front the gubernatorial building and carried a placard asking, “Who answers for 32 months of back wages?”  The rally disturbed the flow of traffic in this part of the city.

 

It must be noted that there are 1200 workers employed by the Spinning and Weaving Textile Company in Kashan.  However, from the beginning of this year [March 21, 2011], the Company has been shut down because of a strike by the workers demanding 32 months of back wages.