Posted: Tuesday, 23 June 2009

The Canadian Labour Congress wrote to Mr. Bahram Ghasemi, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran;

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) today joins groups from around the world to communicate our deep concern over the turn of events related to the recent Iranian elections and its aftermath. We urge your government to act swiftly in establishing a transparent and legitimate election process in your country, one where only truly elected candidates are chosen to represent the people.

Last week in Geneva the International Labour Organisation (ILO) placed Iran on a short list of countries that consistently violate internationally recognized standards for the protection of women, children, religious minorities, as well as workers and trade unions. The Canadian Labour Congress was among those who provided testimony to the special ILO review of Iran and we join the international community in asking you to stop the repression of your citizens, especially of those who speak up to defend human dignity and justice.

Today there are over ten trade unionists detained in your prisons and they are a living testimony to your government's disdain for the right of workers to organize and be represented by trade unions in Iran. These trade unionists join a long list of others who in the past have resisted the exploitation, persecution and imprisonment of citizens from different sectors of Iranian society. The recent May Day rally in Tehran where over 150 people were either violently attacked or arrested by your security forces, is illustrative of the repression that has reigned in your country for over a decade, now.

The introduction of democracy and the establishment of internationally-recognized human rights in your country are a prerequisite to solving the current political and economic crises in Iran. We strongly urge you to comply to the numerous calls by the ILO to provide information on how Iran will conform to already ratified employment and equality-related Conventions. Further, we strongly urge you to commence a process with the ILO to ratify Convention 87 on the Freedom of Association and Convention 98 on Collective Bargaining.

Meanwhile, the immediate and unconditional release of all trade union prisoners including the remaining detainees of this May Day's arrests - including Mansour Osanloo, Ebrahim Madadi and Farzad Kamangar - is imperative. We need to hear from the leadership of your country that Iran intends to join the international community in respecting the freedom of thought and expression. In your failing to do so, the CLC wholly endorses the organization of rallies and public demonstrations - in Toronto and elsewhere in Canada - in support of such an outcome.