Use of the Especial Police Unit against the Protesting
Bafeg Iron-Stone Mine Workers
In protest against privatization
of the Bafeg Iron-Stone Mine, on May 17, 2014, 5000 mine workers started a
sit-in protest. After government authorities’ assurances and promises and 39
days later, the protesting workers ended their sit-in. Following the manager’s
complaint against the mine worker representatives, on August 19, 2014, police
arrested two of the mine workers and arrest warrants were issued for 16 other
workers as well. The 16 mine workers that arrest warrant was issued for them,
sought refuge among their co-workers in the mine. In a protest against arrest
of two of their co-workers and police’s attempts to arrest the other 16
workers, on August 20, 5000 mine workers stopped working at the mine. One of
the protesting workers indicated, “Ending of the workers’ protest will depend
on the withdrawal of the arrest warrants of all 18 workers.” According to the
Islamic Republic Labor News Agency’s (ILANA) reports, “To disperse the workers
from their sit-in and arrest the 16 workers”, on August 21, Especial Police
Unit was stationed at the Bafeg Mine; but on August 22, security forces were
“positioned at a point outside of the mine.” Workers are demanding that “15
percent of the mine’s added value be spent for development of the backward
region.” When touring the mine on August 14, 2014, Islamic Republic’s Minster
of Labor Rabieih had indicated, “Even if workers’ last sit-in had lasted 339
days (the last sit-in lasted 39 days), I would not have allowed even a worker
lose a single hair.”
“The Times of
Injustice against Capitalists is over”
According to the Mehr News
Agency, while “bestowing and cutting” 50 percent of taxes on foreign investment,
on August 12, 2014, Mohammad-Reza Naemat-Zadeh, Islamic Republic’s Minister of
Industry, Mines and Commerce indicated, “The times of injustice against
capitalists is over.”
Expansion of the Temporary
Contracts
According to ILANA’s (Islamic
Republic’s Labor News Agency) July 23, 2014 report, in his letter to Islamic
Republic’s Minister of Labor Rabieih, Gazvin Workers’ Houses’ Secretary had
indicated, “Some of the managers, especially in the Gazvin province, when
hiring workers, by demanding checks, monetary notes and blank-contracts, deny
workers the opportunity to bargain or complain under imposed injustice; also
there are no monitoring of managers’ activities by the Labor Office
inspectors….. Some other managers, when hiring they ask workers to work for free
and without pay and benefits, such as free lunch and transportation services,
for three months….. If the manager decides to disown his responsibilities toward
the worker, using the check and the signed monetary note, he can exert pressure
on the worker and deny him the opportunity to file a legal complaint against
the manager.”
Expansion of the Especial and Free
Economic Zones and Devastation of Workers’ Rights
According to the Iranian
Labor-Law, workers’ contracts must be prepared in three copies and a copy of
the contract must be provided to the workers. Especial and Free Economic Zones
in Iran
are not covered by the labor law. According to ILANA’s July 19, 2014 report,
“At this moment there are more than 62 Especial and Free Economic Zones in the
country.” Expansion of the Especial and Free Economic Zones is one of the
Rouhani government’s top priorities; and according to ILANA’s July 27, 2014
report, “In yesterday’s (July 26th) Free Economic Zones’ Grand
Council meeting, chaired by the President’s First Deputy, the suggestion for
establishment of an Especial and Free Economic Zone in Bousher was presented
and approved.”
Opposition to the Workers’
Right to Protest
ILANA’s July 27, 2014 report,
described workers’ 14 months of overdue wages in the Southern Pars’ (Aslavieh)
Especial and Free Economic Zone; and detailed 500 workers’ protests on several
occasions and wrote, “Following workers’ several protest gatherings…..the
contractor-manager paid two months of workers’ wages…. The contractor-manager
also provided a copy of the workers’ contract to them…. This is the first time
that the manager in the Especial and Free Economic Zones was compelled to
provide the workers a copy of their contracts.” In response to the workers’
protest because of their overdue wages, Abbas Gaed-Rahmat, Secretary of the
Parliament’s Commission indicated, “Protest is not the only means for workers to
follow-up their claims.”
Ninety Percent of the Iranian
Workers Live Under the Poverty-Line
On August 7, 2014, in an
interview with the ILANA’s reporter, Alireza Mahjoub, President of the
Parliament’s Labor Commission and First Secretary of the Workers’ House
indicated, “At this moment 90 percent of the workers live under the
poverty-line; and the other 10 percent are not far from the poverty-line….
During the last year we have witnessed the most severe inflationary recession……
Economic recession has not been specific to one government; this recession
started in 1993 and since 1995 has become more intense.”
