Category: Labor and Guilds

82-Year Old Iraqi Attorney Hassan Tafah in Critical Condition

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Labor and Guilds
Hassan Abdul-Hassan Tafah, Hassan Tafah

HRANA News Agency – Hassan Abdul-Hassan Tafah’s physical health has deteriorated further, and he is in critical condition.Hassan Tafah is an 82-year old lawyer and human rights activist of Iraqi descent convicted of spying and locked up in Ward 4, Hall 12 in Rajai-Shahr Prison.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), in 2008, Hassan Tafah was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Revolutionary Court on charges of spying.He suffers from a number of medical problems including anemia, low blood pressure, kidney and prostate diseases.Furthermore, he has recently been diagnosed with blood cancer.

Iranian judiciary officials have taken no major steps towards providing medical care for Hassan Tafah and have made every effort to block his access to health care.

Hassan Tafah is originally from the southern Iraqi city of Basra, an attorney and a former member of Communist Party of Iraq before seeking refuge in Iran.He was arrested in 2007 during negotiations and talks with Iranian intelligence and security officials and charged with spying.The Revolutionary Court then found him guilty, sentenced him to 15 years in prison and fined him approximately $180,000.

Copyright © 2009-2011 All Rights Reserved

31 Women Drivers Forced out of United Bus Company of Tehran

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Labor and Guilds, Women
Farahnaz Shiri

HRANA News Agency – Farahnaz Shiri together with 30 other women bus drivers have been forced out of the United Bus Company of Tehran (UBCT) while none of them knows the reason for the mandatory buyback of their employment service.Farahnaz Shiri was the first driver of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) in Tehran serving the route between Azadi Square to East Depot.She is also the recipient of Appreciation Award for Transportation Day in Iran.

In an interview with Shargh News, Farahnaz Shiri said, “When Mr. Bijani was the director of UBCT, I joined the company with his support and encouragement in September 11, 2007. I continued to work at UBCT until March 11, 2010.By then, my contract had ended for six months, but no one paid any attention to my requests to renew it.”

Farahnaz Shiri added, “Finally, UBCT decided to offer me a new contract although according to Labor Laws, the old contract had to be renewed.Five other women bus drivers had become permanent employees before me, but I was left in a state of limbo.Although I followed up vigorously and wrote lots of letters, UBCT refused to offer me permanent employment.This situation continued until April 30th when I was fired.”

Following her dismissal, Farahnaz Shiri took legal actions and returned to work when a judge ordered her reinstatement.Nevertheless, one day in June 2011, when Farahnaz Shiri together with 30 other women bus drivers serving the route between Azadi Square to East Depot went to work, there were no buses for them to drive, and their health insurance payments had lapsed.

Needing medical care for her illness, Farahnaz Shiri told Shargh News, “I don’t have proof of insurance and can’t afford paying the medical bills myself.One day when I went to pick up my bus, my schedule was blocked.Thirty other women also lost their jobs at the same time.The majority of these women are breadwinners and must provide for their families.Before our contracts expired, UBCT forced a mandatory buyback on us.”

Copyright © 2009-2011 All Rights Reserved

Workers on Strike at Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex – Day 7

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Labor and Guilds
Jasem Bedrani, Mansour Abbasi, Mohammad Bagher Bagheri

HRANA News Agency – Seven days have passed since 1500 workers of Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex in Khuzestan Province began their strike.Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers has reported that security agents have arrested 3 workers and taken them to the Intelligence Agency located at the port city of Bandar Imam Khomeini.

According to reports issued by various labor organizations, three workers, Mansour Abbasi, Mohammad Bagher Bagheri and Jasem Bedrani were summoned by agents and then arrested.Two of the detainees are labor activists and representatives of the striking workers.

In March 2011, the workers of Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex were also on strike which ended after an agreement was reached between the workers, the management of this company and government officials.According to the signed agreement, Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex was given 3 months to dissolve contracting firms in order to offer a uniform corporate employment contract to all of its workers.Unofficial resources have reported that the terms of this agreement has not yet been fulfilled.

It has been reported that the Chief Operating Director of Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex has threatened 1500 striking workers during a speech in front of the managers of contracting firms.Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex is a government-owned corporation in Khuzestan Province.

Copyright © 2009-2011 All Rights Reserved

Workers of Flarc Company on Strike for Unpaid Wages

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Labor and Guilds
Kurdistan

HRANA News Agency – One hundred workers of Flarc Company in Kamyaran County have gone on strike to demand their unpaid wages for the last five months.Flarc Company is a contractor working on a project to build an irrigation system utilizing rain for farmlands.

According to a report by the Coordinating Committee for the Establishment of Labor Organizations, workers of Flarc Company in the village of Alak, Kurdistan Province, are on strike for their back wages.Flarc Company employs 100 workers and staff who haven’t been paid for five months.The workers have been on strike for more than two days and have blocked the company’s entrance preventing managers to enter the building or various equipment to be transported in an out of the grounds.

Copyright © 2009-2011 All Rights Reserved

Heavy Prison Terms for Labor Activists & Students in Tabriz

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Labor and Guilds
Mohammad Jarahi, Nima Pouryaghob, Sasan Vahebivash, Shahrokh Zamani

HRANA News Agency – Shahrokh Zamani, Nima Pouryaghob, Mohammad Jarahi and Sasan Vahebivash have been sentenced to heavy prison terms in Tabriz, Iran.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the aforementioned individuals are labor activists and students in the city of Tabriz.The Revolutionary Court, Branch 1, has issued verdicts sentencing them to a total of 22 years and 6 months in prison.A fifth defender, Buick Sydler, was found not guilty.

Shahrokh Zamani was sentenced to 11 years in prison on charges of organizing an opposition group and propaganda against the regime.

Mohammad Jarahi received a 5 year prison term for organizing an opposition group.Nima Pouryaghob was sentenced to 6 years in prison on charges of organizing an opposition group and propaganda against the regime.

Sasan Vahebivash received a 6 month prison term on charges of the membership in an organization opposing IRI and propaganda against the regime.

The Revolutionary Court, Branch 1, tried and convicted these leftist labor activists and students on August 18, 2011.Prior to this trial, a bail approximately equivalent to $94,000 was set for Nima Pouryaghob while Sasan Vahebivash and Buick Sydler each posted approximately $30,000 bail to be temporally released from Tabriz Prison.

The verdicts issued against these political activists are unprecedented in Tabriz in the recent few years.

 

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Six Members of Teachers’ Union of Kurdistan Summoned

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Labor and Guilds
Ali Qarishi, Ezat Nosrati, Kamal Fakorian, Mostafa Sarbazan, Parviz Nasehi

HRANA News Agency – On Monday, July 29, 2011, six labor activists and members of Teachers’ Union of Kurdistan were summoned to the Revolutionary Court.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Kamal Fakorian, Ali Qarishi, Mostafa Sarbazan, Parviz Nasehi and Ezat Nosrati are amongst those summoned on Monday afternoon by phone to appear before the Revolutionary Court in the city of Sanandaj.

Six labor activists have been ordered to report to the Interrogation Unit of the Revolutionary Court, Branch 4, promptly at 8:00am on Tuesday, August 30, 2011.

 

Siavash Eslami’s Lashing Sentence Carried Out

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Labor and Guilds
Siavash Eslami

HRANA News Agency – Siavash Eslami, a board member of Teachers Union in Sari, received 37 lashes according to a verdict handed down by the Appeals Court.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Siavash Eslami is a union activist who has been charged with acting against national security through participating in the events after 2009 presidential elections.He was initially sentenced to 74 lashes, but the Appeals Court later reduced this verdict to 37 lashes.

Siavash Eslami was flagged on Sunday, July 31, 2011, one day before the month of Ramadan began.It has been reported that Siavash Eslami was fasting when taken to Sari Enforcement Bureau to be flogged.

Siavash Eslami has been a teacher for 24 years and holds a master’s degree in political science.He has been teaching Islamic Studies in various high schools in Sari, the capital of Mazandaran Province.

 

Labor Activist Ali Nejati Sentenced to One Year in Prison

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Labor and Guilds
Ali Nejati

HRANA News Agency – The Ahvaz Appeals Court, Branch 13, has sentenced Ali Nejati to one year in prison.Ali Nejati is one of the board members of Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company Workers’ Trade Union.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), this verdict is handed down despite the fact that Ali Nejati has already served six months in the Fajr Prison of Dezful for the same charge.While he was in prison, Ali Nejati was summoned to court to be tried again on charges for which he was behind bars.

According to a report by the website of the Coordinating Committee to Create Labor Organizations, after Ali Nejati’s 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.

About three years ago, Ali Nejati was fired from his job at Haft Tapeh Sugarcane Company after working there for over 25 years.Consequently, he has also been suffering financially and has lost the means to support himself.Ali Nejati suffers from heart problems and the clogging of arteries.After his most recent heart surgery, he has been receiving medical care for several months.

 

Workers of Tractor Manufacturing Company on Strike in Tabriz

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Labor and Guilds
Tabriz

HRANA News Agency – The workers of Iranian Tractor Manufacturing Company whose headquarters are in Tabriz have been on strike since five days ago.During this time, all factory workshops have shut down while company and provincial officials continue to ignore workers’ demands and have threatened them with termination.

According to a report by Araz News, workers have requested full payment of outstanding productivity bonuses, increasing contract workers’ duration of employment, timely payment of social security disbursements, removal of difficult retirement requirements and full payment of wages for work performed.

Since earlier this year, the Iranian Tractor Manufacturing Company has been offering contract workers only monthly contracts whose duration is one month.Additionally, the company has failed to disburse social security payments to qualified workers, causing problems for a large number of employees.

 

Official Child Laborers More Than 600,000 in Iran

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Labor and Guilds
Mehr News

HRANA News Agency – Official reports from Iran indicate that there are more than 600,000 Iranian children who have left school in order to enter the job market.As a result, these children are abused in a variety of ways by their families and profiteers.

According to a report by Mehr News Agency, official statistics show that there are 380,000 children between the ages of 10 and 14 working throughout the year in Iran.Additionally, there are about 360,000 children working at seasonal jobs.

Poverty, poor economy, insufficient economic growth and improper distribution of wealth are believed to be the main reasons causing such disturbing social phenomenon as child labor.

In addition to the fact that various occupations requiring hard manual labor harm children psychologically and physically, since laws prohibit employers from hiring minors for such occupations, children are not protected by labor regulations or given any social benefits.

While the official child labor statistics are published, there are thousands of children who work in black markets illegally.