Interview with Mansour Osanloo
Iranian trade union leader Mansour Osanloo has been relentlessly persecuted for his efforts to secure an independent trade union and living wages for bus workers. Yet, as he explained in an interview with Transport International shortly before his latest arrest, he does not see himself as anti-government, and believes there are signs of hope for workers’ rights and freedoms in Iran.
http://www.itfglobal.org/transport-international/ti29-osanloo.cfm
Updates
18 November
Reza Dehghan, Union of the Painters (Sandicika Nagash) was arrested. He was summoned by court and then taken to Evin prison.
15 November
Mansour Osanloo was moved from Ward 209 to Ward 7 in Evin prison. On the same day, he was taken briefly to Basir Hospital for his eye checkup.
Gorban Alipour, the Haftapeh Sugar Factory spokesperson was released on $US10,000 bail.
http://www.iranlabourwatch.net
16 November
ITF Dockers' Section Steering Committee resolves to support to the Free Osanloo Campaign.
10 November
General Union of Transport Workers of Palestine sends its message of solidarity to the Tehran Bus Workers Union (texts attached).
I'm wearing the badge!
Trade unionists to the recent meetings, including the ITUC meeting on Middle East and North Africa, ITF Dockers' Section as well as the ILO Governing Body meeting, have worn the Free Osanloo badge to express their solidarity to the Iranian workers' movement.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/itf/sets/72157602429966468/
Monday, 26 November 2007
Thursday, 22 November 2007
Anti- Racist Rally 11am Glasgow Sat 24th Nov
Dear IUSS Supporters,
Come and join IUSS at the annual STUC Anti Racist March and Rally at 11am, Blythwood Square, ending at Glasgow Film Theatre, Rose Street 12noon.
Chair: Georgia Cruickshank, STUC Black Workers’ Committee
Speakers: Kainde Manji, Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance
Phil McGarry, STUC President
Aamer Anwar
Anas Sarwar
Humza Yousaf
Come and join IUSS at the annual STUC Anti Racist March and Rally at 11am, Blythwood Square, ending at Glasgow Film Theatre, Rose Street 12noon.
Chair: Georgia Cruickshank, STUC Black Workers’ Committee
Speakers: Kainde Manji, Glasgow Anti Racist Alliance
Phil McGarry, STUC President
Aamer Anwar
Anas Sarwar
Humza Yousaf
Monday, 12 November 2007
Next IUSS Meeting Nov 19th
The next IUSS meeting will be on Monday November 19th, 7pm at 80 Oakfied Avenue, Glasgow.
Please see these websites and attachment below for information regarding the huge scale of the refugee crisis caused by the war in Iraq, and the lack of responsibility being taken for it by the US and UK governments:-
http://tinyurl.com/32rvce for informative Voices UK Newsletter
http://tinyurl.com/24g3ny for UNHCR statistics
http://tinyurl.com/24hfrg for an article about the host countries who receive refugees having been left in the lurch
http://tinyurl.com/ytjqx6 for an article from Amnesty International about millions of Iraqi refugees in flight.
Iraqi comrades from the ICP have sent this link which confirms our view about the war being in order for the US administration to gain control over Iraqs oil, its at www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n20/holto1_.html
Postings about Iran include the tragic news that Mansour Ossanlou of the Teheran busworkers union has received a 5 year jail sentence for his trade union activity. See
http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/1650 .
Also please see and sign the attached petition to release women prisoners who are sentenced to jail and flogging for their stance in upholding womens rights and for criticising the Islamic regime, the petiton is at www.petitiononline.com/maryam20/petition.htlm. Also see attachments from Iran about the seemingly imminent US war against the people of Iran and Womens Liberation.
If you have not already signed the letter to stop Aamer Anwar, the soliciter who defended Mohammed Siddique from being charged with contempot of court, please do so by going to www.sacc.org.uk/defendaamer
Aamer Anwar will be speaking at a meeting on Defending Civil Liberties on November 13th, 7.30pm at the Mitchell Theatre, Granville Street, Glasgow (doors open 7pm) organised by Scotland Against Criminalising Communities and Glasgow Stop the War Coalition.
Please see these websites and attachment below for information regarding the huge scale of the refugee crisis caused by the war in Iraq, and the lack of responsibility being taken for it by the US and UK governments:-
http://tinyurl.com/32rvce for informative Voices UK Newsletter
http://tinyurl.com/24g3ny for UNHCR statistics
http://tinyurl.com/24hfrg for an article about the host countries who receive refugees having been left in the lurch
http://tinyurl.com/ytjqx6 for an article from Amnesty International about millions of Iraqi refugees in flight.
Iraqi comrades from the ICP have sent this link which confirms our view about the war being in order for the US administration to gain control over Iraqs oil, its at www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n20/holto1_.html
Postings about Iran include the tragic news that Mansour Ossanlou of the Teheran busworkers union has received a 5 year jail sentence for his trade union activity. See
http://www.itfglobal.org/press-area/index.cfm/pressdetail/1650 .
Also please see and sign the attached petition to release women prisoners who are sentenced to jail and flogging for their stance in upholding womens rights and for criticising the Islamic regime, the petiton is at www.petitiononline.com/maryam20/petition.htlm. Also see attachments from Iran about the seemingly imminent US war against the people of Iran and Womens Liberation.
If you have not already signed the letter to stop Aamer Anwar, the soliciter who defended Mohammed Siddique from being charged with contempot of court, please do so by going to www.sacc.org.uk/defendaamer
Aamer Anwar will be speaking at a meeting on Defending Civil Liberties on November 13th, 7.30pm at the Mitchell Theatre, Granville Street, Glasgow (doors open 7pm) organised by Scotland Against Criminalising Communities and Glasgow Stop the War Coalition.
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
Saturday, 3 November 2007
Good Interview with 50 Iraq Vets
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070730/hedges
All "The Nation" articles on Iraq
http://www.thenation.com/search/search.mhtml
All "The Nation" articles on Iraq
http://www.thenation.com/search/search.mhtml
Friday, 2 November 2007
Osanloo sentence ‘appals world opinion’
Press area
Osanloo sentence ‘appals world opinion’
30 October 2007
Commenting on news that Iranian trade union leader Mansour Osanloo has been sentenced to five years imprisonment ITF General Secretary David Cockroft said: “We have just heard that an injured, victimised trade unionist has been condemned to jail on charges that would be laughable if they weren’t so serious.”
“For two years Mansour Osanloo has fought back against the Iranian regime’s brutality. Now they are trying to crush him with spurious accusations of endangering national security and criticising the regime. We know – the world knows – that Mansour’s only crime in their eyes is to have asserted his right to belong to a trade union.”
He continued: “This sentence appals world opinion. Mansour has been an example to us all and to see him treated this way – beaten, arrested, rearrested, intimidated and nearly blinded – brings shame on the government of Iran. We have tried to reason with them and detected at least some sympathy for what he stands for, but that has now clearly been overruled by the hardliners.”
“The international trade union movement, including across the Islamic world, has fought all the way for Mansour and his colleagues and we will continue to do so. We will be alerting them now, along with the International Labour Organization, before planning a new wave of protests.”
He concluded: “If the government get away with this then they will hand out the same treatment to Mansour’s deputy, Ebrahim Madadi, and all of the 17,000 members of the union will be at risk.”
Mansour Osanloo, 47, is the President of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) trade union, which has been violently repressed by the Iranian authorities. Osanloo has been made a particular target for imprisonment and brutal attacks. He is currently being held in Evin prison in Tehran. See www.freeosanloo.org for further information. A short film on the Osanloo case can be seen at www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/osanloo-film.cfm ENDS
Osanloo sentence ‘appals world opinion’
30 October 2007
Commenting on news that Iranian trade union leader Mansour Osanloo has been sentenced to five years imprisonment ITF General Secretary David Cockroft said: “We have just heard that an injured, victimised trade unionist has been condemned to jail on charges that would be laughable if they weren’t so serious.”
“For two years Mansour Osanloo has fought back against the Iranian regime’s brutality. Now they are trying to crush him with spurious accusations of endangering national security and criticising the regime. We know – the world knows – that Mansour’s only crime in their eyes is to have asserted his right to belong to a trade union.”
He continued: “This sentence appals world opinion. Mansour has been an example to us all and to see him treated this way – beaten, arrested, rearrested, intimidated and nearly blinded – brings shame on the government of Iran. We have tried to reason with them and detected at least some sympathy for what he stands for, but that has now clearly been overruled by the hardliners.”
“The international trade union movement, including across the Islamic world, has fought all the way for Mansour and his colleagues and we will continue to do so. We will be alerting them now, along with the International Labour Organization, before planning a new wave of protests.”
He concluded: “If the government get away with this then they will hand out the same treatment to Mansour’s deputy, Ebrahim Madadi, and all of the 17,000 members of the union will be at risk.”
Mansour Osanloo, 47, is the President of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed) trade union, which has been violently repressed by the Iranian authorities. Osanloo has been made a particular target for imprisonment and brutal attacks. He is currently being held in Evin prison in Tehran. See www.freeosanloo.org for further information. A short film on the Osanloo case can be seen at www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/osanloo-film.cfm ENDS
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