Riot police attack Iranian tyre workers

international | worker & community struggles and protests | news report Tuesday April 15, 2008 14:43 by pat c

On 13 April, riot police smashed the gates and climbed over the walls of Kian Tyre factory, in the outskirts of Tehran, to forcefully evict hundreds of striking workers. Scores were beaten up and arrested, with many hospitalised

Farhad Ghaasemi, WPI reporter in Tehran said: “They used axes and kicked in doors and began brutally attacking the workers with electric batons. Roaming the site on motorbikes, they battered anyone who happened to be on their way. Scores were arrested and at least two busloads of detained workers were taken out of the factory”.

The workers of Kian Tyre (formerly Alborz Tyre) have been on strike since Tuesday in protest at the non-payment of their wages - overdue since the fall of 2007. With their repeated calls being on ignored, workers yesterday partially blocked the main road outside the factory with burning tyres to draw attention to their plight.

Earlier that day, Tehran’s governor and arrived at the factory and promised that the overdue wages would be paid within 48 hours. According to a WPI report, prior to the attack, a 5-6km zone around the factory was evacuated, and specialist and managerial staff were secretly led out from the back of the compound.
For the first 36 hours following their arrests, their families hاad no news about the workers. Most of these workers have since been released after signing letters promising not to get involved in any protest actions against their employer.

Arrested workers were interrogated by the police to try and get the workers to betray the strike’s organizers and leaders. At this time, there are reports that only 10 workers continue to be in detention and 6 fire fighters who refused to disperse workers with hot water cannons have also been arrested.

These workers need your support. Send letters of protest about this attack to:

Supreme Leader:
Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei
Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street
Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran, Iran
Email: info@leader.ir

The President:
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
The Presidency
Palestine Avenue,
Azerbaijan Intersection
Tehran, Iran
Email: dr-ahmadinejad@president.ir

The Head of the Judiciary:
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St.,Vali Asr Ave.,
South of Serah-e Jomhouri,
Tehran, Iran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir

Sources:
http://libcom.org/news/
http://www.laborstart.org/middleeast/
http://socialist-blogs-news.blogspot.com/
http://www.iwsn.org/campaigns/kian-tyre-12apr08.htm
http://www.iww.org/en/aggregator/sources