Middle East Focus: Assault on Labor Unions: Are Iranian Mullahs Republicans?..............

Arabia Deserta

Assault on Labor Unions: Are Iranian Mullahs Republicans?..............

Rattlesnake Ridge

BFF

“The authorities summoned four activists in mid-January 2012 to begin serving long sentences imposed in 2011. On January 28, authorities arrested Alireza Akhavan, a teacher and labor rights activist, in his home in Tehran. It is not know where he is currently being held. On January 18, security forces arrested Mohammad Jarrahi in his home in Tabriz. Three days earlier, intelligence agents arrested Shahrokh Zamani, another Tabriz labor rights leader, and summoned two others also in Tabriz. Authorities also arrested Shays Amani, a prominent rights activist and member of an independent trade union in the city of Sanandaj on January 16. Earlier in the month authorities detained Mehdi Shandeez and transferred to Ward 350 of Evin prison in Tehran. All those arrested are labor activists or members of independent trade unions not authorized by the government……. “This latest round of arrests continues a long and ugly tradition of targeting independent trade unions to enforce full state control over these groups.” Authorities initially arrested Zamani on June 7, 2011, in connection with his activities as a member of an independent painters’ syndicate and a board member of the Committee to Pursue the Establishment of Labor Unions………..... "

These Iranian leaders sound almost like Republican governors and senators and congress members in the United States. They both dislike labor unions and try to subjugate or destroy them. It started with Ronald Reagan and has continued, mostly under Republican presidents and governors. Apparently some of these Iranian politicians seem no different than, say, Scott Walker the right-wing governor of the frozen state of Wisconsin who has tried to dismantle labor unions.
(This is not new and is not confined to Iran. All Middle East regimes don't like independent labor unions. They all prefer, and most of them get, subservient labor unions that do not serve workers' interests. Guess when was the last labor strike in Syria or Iraq or Saudi Arabia or Nazi Germany?).
Cheers
mhg

m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com