Iranian Union Leader Arrested Second time

In February, union members in the United States and around the world protested the arrest of union bus drivers in Iran. Cathy Feingold of the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center tells us the president of the union is back in prison after being released only four months ago. And she lets us know how we can let Iran’s leaders know the world is watching and demanding justice for Iranian workers.

Mansour Osanloo, president of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Drivers (Sherkat-e-Vahed) union was violently re-arrested Nov. 19 by plainclothes men. Osanloo, who spent seven months in prison, was just released from prison on exorbitant bail four months ago under pressure from the international community of unions and human rights activists.

His only “crime” was seeking a living wage and better working conditions for hundreds of Tehran’s bus drivers. With only two days before a court hearing, he was violently arrested on the street and taken back to prison. The Solidarity Center has independently confirmed that he was not allowed to see his family or his attorneys for almost 10 days.

Osanloo and members of his executive committee were arrested during a union meeting Dec. 22, 2005.

On Jan. 28, police brutally cracked down on a planned strike called to protest Osanloo’s detention, using tear gas, batons and threats to shoot the strikers. Some 1,300 drivers were arrested, and as many as 30 had to be hospitalized.

On Feb. 15, thousands of worker and human rights activists worldwide, including Solidarity Center staff and partners, joined an International Day of Action on Iran to demand Osanloos’ release and respect for the worker rights of Iranian bus drivers.

On Aug. 9, after extensive international protests, Osanloo was released.

As in his previous arrest, Osanloo has not been charged with a crime. Authorities have turned away family and attorneys who have tried to visit him. At the time of his arrest, Osanloo was recovering from eye surgery, and his eye was heavily bandaged. In a letter to the International Labor Organization representative in Asia, Osanloo’s son Sahesh expressed extreme concern over his father’s well-being.

In a Nov. 20 letter to Iran President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said Iran has an obligation to protect workers’ rights:

As a member of the International Labor Organization (ILO), your government has an obligation to conform to the core ILO conventions by reinstating dismissed workers, recognizing the Sherkat-e-Vahed union, permitting a collective bargaining agreement and permitting freedom of association and trade union rights. We also ask that you safeguard other Sherkat-e-Vahed workers from possible arrests.

Act now. Send a letter to Iran’s president to demand Osanloo’s immediate and unconditional release, and urge the Iranian government to recognize labor unions and respect their rights to collective bargaining. To send a letter, click here.

To learn more about the plight of workers in Iran, visit the Solidarity Center’s website on Iran.

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