Category: Labor and Guilds

Official Child Laborers More Than 600,000 in Iran

Posted on by admin-hr
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.

 

Union Activist Nabiollah Bastani Released and Fired

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Nabiollah Bastani

HRANA News Agency – On Thursday, July 14, 2011, the trade union activist Nabiollah Bastani was released from the central prison in Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province and was simultaneously fired from his job by the Ministry of Education.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on January 6, 2011, Nabiollah Bastani was summoned to begin serving his one year sentence at the central prison in Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province.Nabiollah Bastani is a labor activist who taught literature at various high schools in Farsan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari Province.He was also the deputy cultural director of Velayat-e Faqih High School.

After six months and seven days behind bars, Nabiollah Bastani was granted a conditional release from prison.Upon his release, he was fired from his job.The Board of Education has also banned Nabiollah Bastani from teaching.Furthermore, prior to his dismissal, the Ministry of Education had refused to pay his salary.The decision to fire a teacher at the same time when he was being released from prison was rare and unexpected.

 

Bazaar on Strike in Javanroud

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Abdullah Visi

HRANA News Agency – All the merchants and shopkeepers in the Kurdish city of Javanroud in Kermanshah Province are on strike after a well-known local store owner was abducted and murdered this week.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Abdullah Visi was abducted by unidentified individuals on Wednesday, July 6, 2011, around 3:00pm while he was heading home after work.On the same day, this merchant’s jewelry store was also robbed by unknown individuals.Abdullah Visi was well known and respected for his charitable and benevolent donations in the city of Javanroud.

For three days following his abduction, Abdullah Visi’s family didn’t know his whereabouts and had absolutely no news of him.On Friday, July 6, 2011, Abdullah Visi’s body was found in Kachal-Ava region near the city of Javanroud.

On Saturday, July 7, 2011, the merchants and shopkeepers of the Javanroud bazaar in a coordinated effort began a strike to protest against this city’s police force neglecting the security and safety of its citizens and failing to investigate the abduction of Abdullah Visi.

As this report is being released, the border bazaar and the majority of stores around the city of Javanroud are closed.

Abdullah Visi’s funeral was held this morning at 9:30am while thousands of people from Javanroud and the outlining areas gathered in the city mosque for the procession to the cemetery.The attendees demanded that Javanroud officials take immediate action to investigate this crime.

 

Esmail Abadi, Math Teacher, Sentenced to Ten Years

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Ali Reza Tabatabai, Esmail Abadi

HRANA News Agency – Esmail Abadi, a high school math teacher and trade union activist, has been sentenced to ten years in prison.This sentence has been suspended for five years.

According to a report by Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), on Wednesday, June 29, 2011, the court ruling sentencing Esmail Abadi to ten years in prison was delivered to his attorney, Ali Reza Tabatabai.Citing Article 500 (propaganda against the regime) and Article 505 (association with hostile governments), Judge Peerabasi presided over the trail and issued the verdict.

In summer of 2009, during an interview with a foreign media, Esmail Abadi talked about Iran’s educational system and several imprisoned teacher.Esmail Abadi was subsequently arrested and locked up for 44 days in Evin Prison.

 

Bahnam Ebrahimzadeh Stands Trial Again

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Bahnam Ebrahimzadeh

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.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Now is definitely not the time to stop reading!

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

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Shimali Senanayake

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

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Kashan’s Valiasr Square

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

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Ayd-Ali Karimi

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

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Hafez Sardarpoor, Mahnaz Karimi, Mehdi Zeynali, Mohammad Farajian, Mostafa Jamshidi, Nader Azizi, Ramin Jabbari

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.

Ali Nejati Will Be Tried Again

Posted on by admin-hr
Labor and Guilds
Ali Nejati

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.