Report on Kian Tire Workers’ Protests

Note from Mission Free Iran: One of the primary sources for worker-related information inside Iran, Iran Free Trade Union, has had their site filtered by the Islamic Republic. They have requested assistance to disseminate information on workers’ strike information, and Misson Free Iran is assisting with the dissemination of worker news from Iran Free Trade Union. We publish here the English translation of the report on the situation at the Kian Tire Factory provided by the Worker-communist Party of Iran; the Farsi version of updated news about the Kian Tire action from the Iran Free Trade Union appears below the English report.

A Report about Kian Tire Workers’ Protest

In continuation of their recent protests, on Monday, the 25th of October, Kian Tire workers gathered at the factory and, in order to attract the attention of people and officials, set tires on fire in a place that was visible from Islam Shahr Highway, opposite to Chardangeh governorate.

Sixteen days ago, Kian Tire workers cast the managers and the employer out of the factory (1); following this, the management has tried to deceive the workers by giving them false promises. Although 2 weeks has passed since these promises were made, none of them have been realized. During this time, the workers, without engaging in production, have been present in the factory every day during the usual working hours.

Last week, in protest of uncertainty [about the factory’s situation (1)], talk about gathering outside Ahmadinejad’s office in protest intensified. In order to decide how to continue the protest and proceed with their decisions, the workers held their general assembly on the 17th of October. Under the pressure generated by the workers’ protests, the governor of Chardangeh was forced to appear in front of the crowd of protesting workers. The workers stood united against the governor’s excuses and deceptions regarding the [threatened] closure of the factory, and unanimously shouted, “Instead of all this nonsense, pay our unpaid wages!” “We condemn layoffs!” The governor, after making some promises, left the gathering of protesting workers.

On the 23rd of October, after workers’ demands were not answered, workers gathered in front of the factory’s council and then decided to announce their plan to continue and intensify their protest until their demands are answered. They gave the management an ultimatum that if by Sunday the 24th of October, raw material is not delivered to the factory, and if their health insurance cards are not renewed, from Monday the 25th of October, they will gather in protest either in the factory or in front of Ahmadinejad’s office.

On Monday the 25th of October, when the raw material was not delivered and the factory didn’t start production, the workers, in protest of the uncertainty of the factory situation and their unanswered demands, gathered in the factory from 10am until 12 noon and set tires on fire. Angry Kian Tire workers pulled down and set on fire all the banners hanging at the factory that welcomed the governor of Chardongeh, honoring him as an exemplary governor. Simultaneously with this protest action, representatives of the workers were sent to the Ministry of Industry at 11am to pursue their unanswered demands in a meeting convened to investigate these demands. The workers’ representatives firmly stood against the threats and deceptions of the officials of the Ministry of Industry, and emphasized workers’ demands. They declared that they wanted the situation of the factory clarified, that they wanted payment of unpaid wages, and that if these demands of the Kian Tire workers are not answered, all of the Kian Tire factory workers would gather in front of the Ministry of Industry; they stated that they would not take any responsibility for the consequences of that action. As a result of the firm position of the workers’ representatives, the officials of the Ministry of Industry declared that there is a 5 milliard Touman loan ready to be issued to the factory, and this loan should be made soon. After this meeting, the Kian Tire employer also promised that before the end of the day, he would deposit 50 percent of workers’ September wages to their accounts, and that during the next few days, 40 tons of raw material would be delivered to the factory. After the representatives returned to the factory, and informed the workers of their negotiations, the workers declared that if the promises made are not realized by Tuesday the 26th of October, they will resume their protest immediately.

WPI sends its regards to the courageous Kian Tire workers and calls upon other working divisions to openly declare their support and sympathy with their fair demands. The presence of Kian Tire workers’ families is a way of expanding the amplitude of this fair protest.

Down with Islamic Republic
Long Live the Socialist Republic
Worker-communist Party of Iran
27th October 2010

(1) Editor’s note: The owner of Kian Tire would make a good sum of money if he were to close down his factory, despite the fact that both raw materials and demand in the market exist for this factory’s product. However, many of the Kian Tire workers have not been paid their wages in months, and if the factory were to close, they would never get those wages.

بدلیل فیلترینگ سایت اتحادیه آزاد کارگران ایران، ما را در انتشار اخبار کارگری یاری کنید(اتحادیه آزاد کارگران ایران)
کارگران کیان تایر روز سه شنبه اقدام به آتش زدن لاستیک و خروج از کارخانه کردند

بنا بر گزارشهای دریافتی توسط اتحادیه آزاد کارگران ایران، کارگران کیان تایر در ادامه اعتراضات خود، دیروز سه شنبه چهارم آبانماه از ساعت 9 صبح تا حدود ساعت 13 ظهر اقدام به آتش زدن ضایعات لاستیک در محل کارخانه کردند و همزمان با برگزاری جلسه ای در بخشداری چهاردانگه که فرماندار اسلامشهر و مسئولین نیروی انتظامی در آن شرکت داشتند حدود 200 نفر از کارگران با قصد مسدود کردن جاده اسلامشهر اقدام به خروج از کارخانه کردند که پس از مشورتی میان کارگران و نماینده هایشان، آنان به محل کارخانه بازگشتند.
بنا بر این گزارش همزمان با اعتراضات کارگران در محل کارخانه و برگزاری جلسه در بخشداری چهاردانگه مذاکراتی نیز در وزارت صنایع با کارفرمای لاستیک دنا برای واگذاری کیان تایر به این کارفرما در جریان بود که پس از این مذاکرات اعلام شد کارفرمای لاستیک دنا مواد اولیه را تامین و کارخانه کیان تایر را راه اندازی خواهد کرد. این سرمایه گذار تقبل کرده است کارخانه کیان تایر را با سرمایه خود اداره کند و 50 در صد دستمزد باقی مانده شهریور و دستمزد مهر ماه کارگران کیان تایر را پرداخت نماید.
در رابطه با مابقی مطالبات کارگران کیان تایر نیز وزارت صنایع قول تامین پنج میلیارد اعتبار را برای پرداخت مطالبات کارگران از سالهای گذشته و راه اندازی تعاونی کارگران و صندوق آنان داده است.
با توجه به توافقات انجام گرفته با کارفرمای لاستیک دنا، کارگران کیان تایر امیدوار هستند به بحران چندین ساله در این کارخانه پایان داده شود. این کارگران اعلام کرده اند در صورت عدم تحقق توافقات صورت گرفته و حل مشکلاتشان بار دیگر اعتراضات خود را از سر خواهند گرفت.
اتحادیه آزاد کارگران ایران – پنجم آبانماه 89
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