Bus driver's union. There was a report that an attempt was made to kidnap the head of the bus driver's union, Mansour Ossanlu, after the demonstration. Ossanlu has been arrested before and had his tongue cut while in prison.
Posted on 05/03/2007 4:49:22 AM PDT by nuconvert
Iran labour protest against president, "Death to the oppressors"
By Shahriar, N. - Persian Journal
May 1, 2007
Hundreds of Iranians took part on Tuesday in a demonstration in Tehran to mark labour day, accusing President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government of failing to improve their working conditions. The workers converged on a stadium in central Tehran in the officially sanctioned demonstration to mark May Day but were dispersed by anti-riot police when the march moved out into the street, witnesses said.
"Some 600 workers demonstrated at the exit to the stadium and shouted slogans against the minister of labour," Mohammad Jahromi, the semi-official agency said. "Incapable minister. Resign!", "Government, parliament, stop your slogans and act", and "Death to the oppressors", the protesters shouted.
Scuffles followed when anti-riot police dispersed the demonstration as people moved into the street outside the stadium, just south of Haft-e Tir Square, a major Tehran traffic nexus. Witnesses told that they hoisted a coffin symbolising their demands which the police then tried to break but the demonstration dispersed without any major clashes.
State television's main afternoon news bulletin also reported that hundreds of people took part in the march and broadcast comments from unnamed workers complaining about their conditions.
"We are pursuing the workers' legal demands. We expect the officials and the government to follow up on our demand," said one, while another fumed: "I have worked for 21 years and am now unemployed, what should I do?" "This is the workers' situation: No job security, very low wages and numerous problems," said a third man.
Low-earning workers and civil servants in Iran have been especially hard hit by a sharp rise in prices of staple foods and services over the past months.
Ahmadinejad rose to power in elections two years ago on the back of a wave of support from poorer sector of society generated by his promises to make all Iranians benefit from the country's oil wealth. But the country continues to be dogged by low salaries and unemployment for its overwhelmingly youthful population whilst mullahs' regime president 24/7 busy with defending Islam, worry about Palestinians or Shiites in Iraq.
A member of parliament's social commission, Moussal-Reza Servati, said earlier this week that the number of Iranians living under the poverty line had increased by 13 per cent to 12 million ? more than one in seven people.
The demonstration came after hundreds of teachers held three protests outside Iran's parliament in April, resulting in the arrest of a dozen education union leaders from Tehran and the central city of Hamedan. Iranian teachers are due to mark their national day on Wednesday.
Bus driver's union. There was a report that an attempt was made to kidnap the head of the bus driver's union, Mansour Ossanlu, after the demonstration. Ossanlu has been arrested before and had his tongue cut while in prison.
Jihad fodder.
pong
Lots of stuff happening in Iran right now.
Noticed the english on the signs. Too bad the MSM will ignore this.
How about busy 24/7 spending tens of billions of their oil revenues on nuclear weapons research that will amount to an even bigger negative when the US wipes any possible "success" in that category from the face of the earth?
Might as well get stoked about it now, you bus driving union guys, 'cuz many will not enjoy any nuclear technology success the mullahs buy. Such may well cost a lot of lives and infrastructure before too long.
HF
No. 87 - Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize Convention (1948): Establishes the right of all workers and employers to form and join organizations of their own choosing without prior authorization, and lays down a series of guarantees for the free functioning of organizations without interference by the public authorities.
http://home.iprolink.ch/fitbb/TRADE_UNION_RIGHTS/ILO_Convention_87.html
No. 98 - Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention (1949): Provides for protection against anti-union discrimination, for protection of workers’ and employers’ organizations against acts of interference by each other, and for measures to promote collective bargaining.
http://home.iprolink.ch/fitbb/TRADE_UNION_RIGHTS/ILO_Convention_98.html
I appreciate the amplification and links.
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