Date: Fri, 7 Mar 1997 16:15:40 GMT
Subject: IRANIAN OILWORKERS KILLED


In a  February posting we reported the decision of the International Trade
Union Solidarity Campaign (ITUSC) International Workers' Conference to
support the struggle of the Iranian oil workers. The ITUSC sent messages of
support to the workers in struggle, via our sister organisation, the
Committee for the Defence and Support of Iranian Oil Workers. We also sent
letters of protest to the Iranian Embassy in Britain and the oil ministry.We
also joined a picket of the Iranian Embassy in London on 24 February.

 On 16 February 1997, a huge oil workers rally took place in front of the
oil ministry in Tehran, Iran, and the Islamic militias attacked the crowd
and inflicted beatings. Hundreds were arrested. After several days, most of
those detained were released, but some are still in prison.

On 2 March, we received news from reliable sources in Iran that at least two
of the demonstrators have since died of the injuries inflicted upon them in
detention. Oil workers informed us that at least two others have probably
died whilst being tortured.

Oil workers of the Shiraz refinery marched to the city and demanded the
unconditional release of their comrades and acceptance of all their demands
by the government of Iran, including the right to organise and the right to
collective bargaining.

A few days ago, oil workers from Iran informed us that a new wave of arrests
had begun, and that more than 50 oil workers, including some of their
leaders, were taken to unknown prisons. They have not made contact with
their families therefore their current situation is unclear. Our sources
also told us that all the refineries are surrounded by Islamic militia
guards; the refineries are under siege.

In its response to the letter from the ITUSC, containing the resolution
condemning the Iranian regime, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran,
London acknowledged that there has been a "recent protest by workers of the
oil refinery in Tehran", that the protest concerned "their low wages" and
that "workers at the Tehran Refinery protested at their low wages, demanding
that the oil ministry take steps to solve their pay and welfare problems".

The ITUSC rejects these points:-
* First, the protest is not 'recent'; in fact the protests go back to the
period just after the Revolution in 1978-79 and had intensified especially
after the Gulf War;

* Second, it was not only the workers of the refinery in Tehran who
'protested' but workers of many other refineries, namely Shiraz, Tabriz and
Isfahan, were equally involved in this dispute. In the period up to the
demonstration, workers of the oil pipelines, Iranian national gas and Tehran
distribution centre were also involved. Pretending that the 'protest' had
quite a narrow base, namely Tehran refinery, the Islamic government is as
usual lying.

* Third, low wages and welfare conditions are important issues in this
dispute, but they are not the principal ones. The main dispute was over the
right to organise and to form independent, workers' organisations. On 5 and
6 February, all oil refineries and the other industries mentioned above
elected representatives who went to Tehran to form their national
organisation, which was dissolved by the Iranian government on 7 February.
It forced the representatives to return to their cities. The demand for the
right to collective bargaining was the second, crucial demand which
obviously presupposes a form of organisation among workers. This has been
totally rejected by the government. (There were other demands as well).

The Embassy's letter states further that there had been negotiations, and
that the problem is solved. The truth is that there have been no
negotiations concerning the basic demands of the workers. The regime has
told the workers that collective bargaining and forming independent
organisations is out of the question. And the protest, contrary to the
Embassy's statement, was and is not ended.

The letter ends by claiming that the workers and the oil ministry "had
reached an agreement after which the workers returned to their work". By
'agreement' they mean that they have dissolved the founding meeting of 7
February, sent back the workers to their cities, and after the mass rally
outside the oil ministry, have injured, imprisoned, tortured and - while
torturing- killed workers. And after all that the oil refineries are under a
state of siege.

Finally, it is a triumph for the workers that the wall of silence imposed by
the Islamic Republic has been broken, mainly through their struggle, but
also through international support and solidarity. They still need
international solidarity to free their comrades and leaders, and to achieve
their just demands, especially the rights to organise and collective bargaining.

Please act urgently to secure the immediate and unconditional release of the
arrested Iranian oil workers. Let the Committee for the Defence and Support
of the Iranian Oil Workers have your solidarity messages to be passed on,
published and broadcast on radio stations which will reach the Iranian oil
workers. Put pressure on the Iranian Embassies in your country and the oil
ministry in Iran and send a copy of your letters/faxes to:-
Iranian Refugee Workers' Association,
PO Box 3646,
London.
SW11 5YT
Britain
Tel/Fax 0044 (0) 1372 817 778
e-mail: itusc-AT-gn.apc.org

Communist Party of Iran,
C.D.R.T.,
PO Box 70445,
107 25 Stockholm,
Sweden.
Fax: (46) 08 86 80 54
Fax: 0044 (0) 181 248 2658

Iranian Workers' Left Unity,
PO Box 22634,
1100 DC Amsterdam,
The Netherlands.

Protests from Britain to:-
Iranian Embassy, 16 Prince's Gate,
London SW7 1PT
Fax. No. 0171 589 4440
_____________________________________________________________________
This is from the International Trade Union Solidarity Campaign (ITUSC) at:-
e-mail:        itusc-AT-gn.apc.org
website:  http://www.itusc.org.uk
'snail' mail:  PO Box 18, Epsom, Britain, KT18 7YR
Tel/Fax    ++44 (0) 1372 817 778
_____________________________________________________________________ 




Keith Standring    (itusc-AT-gn.apc.org)