Prominent Iranian Labor Activists Censure Pressure On Workers

Reacting to the recent arrest of a group of labor and union activists, Hassan Saeedi, Keyvan Mohtadi and Reza Shahabi, members of the Workers Syndicate of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (Sherkat-e Vahed), who are imprisoned in the notorious Evin prison, slammed the regime's suppression tactics on the eve of May Day, the international labor day.

They said the security agencies, which do not even respect people's privacy, resort to terror instead of dealing with the problems and resolving them.

"Ignorant of the fact that the people are alert, and bullying will not be tolerated by any part of society, [regime repressions] will only lead to more unity among the protesters," they underlined.

They also called on all trade unions, labor, social and political activists, as well as all the freedom seekers not to remain silent in the face of suppression, and to challenge the brutality of the security apparatus by any means possible.

On Friday, a group of labor activists, who went to visit the family of the imprisoned teacher, Mohammad Habibi, were violently attacked by security agents and arrested.

According to the statement, one of the teachers suffered a heart attack and nine others were taken to Evin prison with some in solitary confinement.

In recent days, a new wave of labor strikes have swept the country, with workers from more than 100 companies and plants involved in the protest movement.

An official at South Pars gas field on the Persian Gulf stated that 4,000 protesting workers will be replaced by new ones.

The Islamic Republic has kept accusing the protesting workers of being encouraged by foreign "enemies".