NCRI – The President of Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union Andrew Determer has in a letter to International Labor Organization (ILO) pointed to the lashing of the workers at Agh-Darreh gold mine and while bringing Iran’s membership at this international organization into question, has called for the organization’s intervention aimed at releasing the political prisoners or cancelling the sentences of some of the defenders of the workers and teachers’ rights.
Addressed to ILO Director-General Guy Rider, the letter reads: “Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union (AMWU) is against the corporal punishment in any form and above all, the union believes that using corporal punishment to prevent workers from seeking their legitimate demands as the members of workers’ unions is extremely worrying.
AMWU is fully aware that an Iranian court has sentenced 17 of Agh-Darreh gold mine workers to corporal punishment for their protest against being sacked from work. Considering this move as well as Iran’s continuous violation of ILO and UN conventions, AMWU believes that Iran’s membership in ILO is under question.
Besides, we ask for your urgent intervention for releasing the Iranian political prisoners as well as cancelling the prison sentences of those who fight for workers and teachers’ rights.
