Statement from Iran Khodro workers

international | worker & community struggles and protests | other press Tuesday September 25, 2007 15:01 by pat c

This is a statement from A group of workers employed in Iran Khodro, Irans largest car plant. It vividly describes the exploitation suffered by Iranian workers both at the hands of Iranian Capitalist employers and from the Iranian Capitalist State. The Iranian Workers issued this statement on September 17. The full text of the statement is at the link.

Friends and fellow workers:

Sharivar 22 [September 13] is the anniversary of the death of our fellow worker, Peyman Razilou. On that day in 2002 he died from exhaustion during the afternoon shift.

His death was four years ago and we haven’t forgotten that tragedy - or the untimely death of our colleague, Mahmood Khayami, who died from stress. And this year we have witnessed another death - this time it was Ali Akbar Shourgashti who was killed because Iranian capitalists pay no attention to health and safety regulations.

The month of Ramadan has arrived and for us workers this means nothing but more misery and trouble in the workplace. We have to work the agreed 10-hour day, yet by cutting out the time for meal breaks during Ramadan management has increased our working hours, with no extra pay.

While the government is shouting from the rooftops that working hours will be reduced during Ramadan, we have not only failed to see any such reduction, but by cutting out our meal break management has seen to it our working day is actually longer.

We are commemorating our fallen fellow workers, Peyman and Omid, and all those who lost their lives due to poor working conditions. We also value the memory of fellow workers Ali Shour Gashti and Massoud Khaiyami, who lost their lives during this summer. We demand the immediate release of workers in prison, Mahmoud Salehi and Mansour Ossanlou, as well all incarcerated workers and political prisoners.