Free Republic

Iran's Union Heroes March 06, 2008 The Guardian Today is Free Osanloo Action Day, which will be marked by protests worldwide to demand the release of the imprisoned Iranian trade union leaders, Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi. Independent trade unions are banned in Iran. Only state-sponsored labour councils are permitted and, to ensure their loyalty to the state, there are restrictions on who can stand for election to these councils. They are, in effect, instruments of the state for the purpose of controlling and pacifying worker discontent. This corporatist, anti-union character of the Iranian state bears many of the hallmarks...

Unions in worldwide protests over detention of Iranian labour leaders 6 March 2008 Trade unionists and human rights activists in towns and cities across the world are today voicing their opposition to the continued imprisonment of Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi. The two Iranian trade union leaders, respectively representing Tehran bus workers and bakery workers, have been in prison for several months. Protesters are participating in an ITF campaign day, backed by the trade union movement and Amnesty International. Actions included: protests outside the Iranian embassy and the Houses of Parliament in London, UK, and the delivery of letters of...

Iran Arrests Five Trade Unionists August 12, 2007 AFP The Peninsula Iranian security forces arrested five members of Tehran's bus drivers' union after they visited the home of their imprisoned chief, the men's lawyer said yesterday. Tehran and suburbs bus drivers' union chief Mansour Ossalou, who has pushed for stronger trade unions in Iran, has been detained in Tehran's Evin prison since July after being convicted of acting against national security. "Ebrahim Madadi, Yagoub Salimi, Davoud Razavi and Ghojari and Homayoun Jaberi went to Mansour Ossalou's house to meet his family, where they were arrested," said lawyer Parviz Khorshid, quoted...