Workers strike in Iran Khodro Diesel

Iran Khodro workers support their co workers strike in Iran Khodro Diesel

Friends and colleagues


We have been informed that while we, Iran Khodro workers were on our summer break, workers in Iran Khodro Diesel , started a strike in protest at management policies and the reduction of their wages. According to news agency ILNA, the wages of contract workers in this sector has been reduced by 30,000 tomans ( around 32dollars) a month. If we take into account reduction in bonuses and child benefit ( paid by the factory) workers are loosing around 70,000 tomans a month (76 dollars). We, Iran Khodro workers condemn the cavalier attitude of the management and declare our support for fellow workers in the Diesel section. The management has no right to reduce workers wages. One of the directors, Mr Sajadi claims that workers agreed to this and refers to ministry of Labour’s ruling on this issue. That ruling is clear, for any wage reduction , management and workers Shora (an Islamic government factory organisation) must come to an agreement. As we don’t have a Shora in this factory, who exactly did Mr Sajadi obtain an agreement with? In addition where can anyone find a worker who would volunteer to accept a 70,000toman pay cut? This has happened at a time when inflation and high prices have broken the back of workers. It is quite clear management wants confrontation with the work force. According to our information workers in Iran Khodro Diesel section were asked to sign ‘white contracts’ . The Human resource section had given each worker a blank sheet to sign , telling them their contracts would not be renewed unless they signed it. The threat was so bad that one worker who had heavy debts, attempted suicide , however other workers decided to go on strike.

This strike started on Wednesday 2nd of August as the only means by which the workers could achieve their demands.

Friends and colleagues

The victory of workers in Iran Khodro Diesel depends on our solidarity. We cannot leave these workers alone, we must raise their demands and echo their protest. We must expose the anti worker policies of Iran’s ministry of Labour , especially the recent anti worker Memorandum, which discriminates against contract workers . Contract workers must gain full employment, contract companies must be abolished.

Workers Victory depends on unity and solidarity

Victory to the struggles of Iran Khodro Diesel section

Long Live international solidarity.

A group of Iran Khodro Workers 12th August 2006
Translated by Workers Let Unity- Iran

At this adress, you can also read the text in farsi :
http://www.etehadchap.org/khodrodiesel.html

Support the workers of Iran Khodro Diesel

Workers of the Vahed Bus Company: keep your headlights on!

Workers of factories in Iran: down your tools for a few minutes!

Activists of the Pursuit Committee and the Co-ordination Committee: take
action to support the workers of Iran Khodro Diesel!

Today, 3 September 2006, Abbas Kangarloo, the head of the Islamic Labour Council at Iran Khodro Diesel Company, reported that there was a hunger strike by the workers of this company but that production had not been stopped. He added that the workers gathered in front of the Islamic Labour Council's office demanding answers from the management, especially about the 300,000 to 400,000 rials cut in their wages [about one week's pay].

But he gave the reason for these problems as the resolution passed by the Supreme Labour Council and said that the amendment to resolution, which relates to agreements between workers and bosses, has caused this problem. As for the action by about 7000 workers in Iran Khodro Diesel, he said that some news sources had reported that the riot police had been in the vicinity and a bus had been set on fire.

He said: "This is not true and I deny it." (Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), 3 September 2006).

But what the leader of the Islamic Labour Council said about the Iran Khodro Diesel production line not coming to a standstill and the nature of workers' grievances in that company are not true. Today, after a number of workers were called up to sign monthly contracts, all the workers came out on strike and all the production lines came to a halt. Then the factory's security force surrounded the company. All the news agencies gathered in front of the company. The managers of Iran Khodro who live 15 kilometres away rushed to the scene immediately!

Last week, in order to control the workers more strictly, the management of the Iran Khodro security force was changed. The new security manager of Iran Khodro Diesel came in today. After an emergency meeting he said: "The workers should return to work and give management until Wednesday [to resolve the problems]." After the workers had gone back to work the management issued a statement telling them that no one had the right to hold an interview with the press!

Contrary to the view of the company's Islamic Labour Council leader, to break the strike the management had come up with a new trick: whoever wants to continue working must sign a monthly contract! When the workers got to know about this, they came out spontaneously and gathered in front of the factory's Islamic Labour Council and management to protest against this trick. The workers who had been asked to sign the monthly contracts were generally the workers on old six-monthly contracts. When the management brought up the issue of deducting 300,000 rials [about one week's pay], and after they were faced with workers' protests, they tried to create divisions among the workers and to dampen their action. The managers prepared forms that the workers had to sign if they wanted the 300,000 rials - but then there would be no work contract for them to be signed. When the workers saw that if they receive the 300,000 rials then they will be sacked, they decided to prevent divisions among themselves by urging that nobody should go to the personnel department and that they should continue with the hunger strike.

The workers of Iran Khodro Diesel have a long history of struggles. The atmosphere in this company has always been a combative one. It is probably the only vehicle manufacturing company that had a workers' council from the first days of the 1979 insurrection. During the protests of the 1980s, when workers fought against the suppression of workers' disputes in this company, the factory's production was stopped. The management's only way out of this predicament was redundancies and the transfer of a section of the workers to other companies. But despite the suppression, the transfers and the retirement of workers, the flame of struggle never went out in this company.

It was mainly young workers who took part in today's protest. Few of the official and older workers were involved and it has been said that some production continued because the official workers did not join the stoppage.

Workers of the bus company!

The buses that you drive are made by Iran Khodro Diesel! The workers of Iran Khodro Diesel are struggling for their rights. Do not leave them alone! Keep the headlights of your buses on as a sign of your solidarity with the workers of Iran Khodro Diesel!

Workers of Iran Khodro!

Support the workers of Iran Khodro Diesel! Question the management! They are guilty!

Workers of Iran and activists of workers' committees: stand firm in your support of Iran Khodro Diesel workers!

Let us start building international support together!

Workers' Action Committee (Iran)

3 September 2006

Translated by Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network