Countryreport Iran
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- Published: Thursday, 13 April 2017 12:44
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A Report about Miener Workers in Iran
This Report was written in 7 Section, at 5 Pages. But because for a country-report we were only allowed to write a page and a half, so here it is only a Summary from the last part: Worker protests.
Iranian mines Worker protests from 2003 to 2016:
Iranian mines have witnessed often protests and gatherings. Most of them rapidly smashed and oppressed. High number of workers arrested, beaten, injured and even killed. Workers of:
- Cooper ore Khatunabad (2003)
- Of iron ore Chadormelu (2013)
- Of iron ore Bafgh (2014)
-Gold Mine Agh-Dareh (2014 and 2016)
-Coal mine East Alborz ( 2013-2016)
-Copper association Miduk
-Copper mine Sar-cheshmeh
Were the pioneers of protesting workers. Malacharam mine, Cheshmeh Pudneh, Aghdarband, Golgohar, Western Alborz, and Madanju and other mines where workers have protested several times to achieve their demands.
80s reminiscent of one of the bloodiest repression of protests by workers.
200 miners of Khatunabad in .2003 protest the layoff and his expulsion. It came to a collision between workers and riot police. The military with weapons and helicopters on the ground, and blood was drawn.
4 workers, including a child were killed in the massacre. After all, the mine workers are still pursuing their claims.
In 2015 labors have protested against an order to be tested a test, aimed to change the status of workers. 150 of protesting worker were dismissed. 28 workers were arrested and later released. Nevertheless, oppression and killing of Workers continue.
Zarand coal miners to protest the police raid (Madandju) in 2014, a representative of the workers was killed. This is the price that miners must pay for their Demands.
Chadormelu iron ore mine: In the wake of the illegal dismissal of workers' representative (Secretary of the Association of miners) as well as unequal pay, workers committed strike.
By confirming of envoy´s dismissing, two thousand workers went in to the protest and have refused to go back to the work. The cruelty and the suppression of Protest leaded to arrest of 28 Workers. After the arrest of workers their coworkers have continued to accumulate. As the result all arrested workers were released. After a few months of the rally, not only represents of the workers were not returned to work, but 30 workers were summoned to court and to prison. 5 of them condemned to lashes and 25 acquitted of charges. But because of withstanding of the protesting workers, all arrested workers were released from jail at the end of 2016, and the claims were dismissed.
The importance of that gathering and protest lay at acknowledging. They went back to the work after promises of their employers. The rally showed the spirit of workers union.
Iron ore mine Bafgh: The first series of the protests and strikes of last 5 years started at 27 of May and lasted until 4 of Jun 2014.
The reason for these Protests, was the fact that 28, 5% of stock from Mine was offered to "social security administration" Initially were 15% of those stock promised to the citizens of Bafgh.
At first the protest was succeed, and the stock were returned back, and the deal temporarily canceled.
Due to the 39 days lasting protest of workers, employers have complained against 38 workers. Two workers were arrested, and the arrest warrant was issued for 16 other workers.
The second protest stream began this time with protest of 5000 workers, it should last 16 days, in order to release of arrested workers. Remarkable was the share of workers families, so that after arrest of 5 men, others sat there in front of the employer and have demanded the release of their coworkers, they have prevented the exit of the employer. The protests led to release of all arrested workers. These strikes were one of the biggest most successful ones, despite their not fully achieved goals. The weakness of those strikes is the evidence for not good organized and lack of sophisticated, labor unions.
East Alborz Coal Mines: 2014, due to the divestiture of Alborz shares to private sector (95%), delayed wage payments, not payed insurance-rates and refuse of payments for retirees, were the most often reasons for Strikes and protests( although in between payment delays has got the normal situation for mine workers of rivet sector, for the past 5 years). Sometimes the wages were played with a delay of up to 5 months, and insurance rates with a delay of 16 months.
1400 workers of these mines have protested for their rights again and again. The longest protest lasted 6 days, it resulted a part payment of original demanded amounts. During those Protests, 3 workers were arrested and later released, due to the resistance of coworkers. Despite a partial payment of financial dues of the workers, wages are payed late, 3 months delay is seldom.
Aghdareh Gold mine: 2014, 500 workers of mine gathered at the entrance of mine to protest against dismiss of 350 workers. Three of those workers have committed a sized attempt. At the End, the employer has sued 11 workers for disturbing of work-procedure. In the same year 40 workers who had unlimited contracts, were dismissed each one with 8 to 12 years of work experience. 26 workers were definitely dismissed, because of their participation at organization of gathering.
The final verdict was: 3 to 5 years of suspended imprisonment, cash fine, and whipping of 17 workers.
Despite of plaintiff´s satisfaction, and backstopping from the sues, the sentence of cash fine and whipping, were carried out. The demand of gold-mine workers was answered with the lash of capital, at their body.
Generally, we can sum up, that in the last 5 years all gatherings and protests of workers for achieving of their rights, has been oppressed.
The workers have suffered but they have not given up, and this is what, is appreciable and valuable.
The mine workers were in all these years, the ones with much suffer. They impoverished and were oppressed, but at the same time they were the most progressive, the bravest and the best united ones.
These workers have experienced punishment through their employers and in his absents they were sued through the prosecutor. Their verdict was Lash, Prison, and whenever that was not enough, the workers have experienced the brutality of the security forces.
The reddening caused through lash, will remain, and we will never forget them.
At the end of this report, we will draw your attention to one sentence of Rosa Luxemburg:
"Todays, things have reached a point that mankind is at a two-way, road.
Falling in to chaos and collapsing, or salvation through socialism (barbarism or socialism)
Long live international solidarity of workers
Compiled by student and workers activists of Iran.