Osanloo Mansour is the leader of the Tehran bus workers union . Last year he was imprisoned (for the third time) by Iranian authorities because of his trade union activities.
The International TUC and the International Transport workers Federation are organising a global action day on 6 March 2008 to express our solidarity with the Iranian workers once again. We want Mansour Osanloo and Mahmoud Salehi released immediately and unconditionally from prison. Their health conditions are deteriorating.
We also demand that fundamental workers' rights be respected in Iran, in accordance with the ILO core conventions. The imprisonment of Osanloo and Salehi are not isolated cases in Iran.
9 education workers were sentenced to 90 days in prison recently. The Iranian authorities claim they are "threats to the national security" although in reality, it is genuine trade union activities they want to crush.
Oppression of the independent workers' movement in Iran is escalating. That is why the global unions, together with the human rights activists, wish to send a strong message to the Iranian government. 6 March falls two weeks prior to the Iranian New Year and the parliamentary elections.
To support the campaign or further information goto
http://www.itfglobal.org/campaigns/freeosanloo.cfm