Interim Report - REPORT_NO58, 1962

1. 672. In a communication dated 6 May 1961 addressed directly to the I.L.O, the W.F.T.U alleged infringements of the exercise of trade union rights in Iran. This communication was transmitted to the Government of Iran in a letter dated 18 May 1961. The Government furnished its observations on the complaint of the W.F.T.U by a letter dated 3 June 1961.

A. A. The complainants' allegations

• Allegations relating to Repression of the Teachers' Strike on 2 May 1961
  673. 673 The complainants allege that when 13,000 Iranian teachers were taking action to secure higher salaries on 2 May 1961 the police fired on the 4,000 striking teachers who were demonstrating in front of Parliament House in Teheran; that several strikers were wounded, and that one of them, Abdel Hussein Khan Ali, died of his wounds.
  674. 674 In its reply the Government states that the strike of teaching staff mentioned by the complainants was not a trade union matter, and it expresses surprise that the W.F.T.U should raise questions which, in its view, have nothing to do with the trade union movement and the exercise of trade union rights. The Government states that the demands of the teaching staff were favourably and quickly satisfied, and that the leader of the strike is now Minister of National Education.
  675. 675 Although the Government states that the strike in question had nothing to do with trade union activities, the Committee will note that the Government does not state what was the real character of this movement. Furthermore, the Government makes no comment on the specific allegations presented by the complainants, namely that there was shooting and that one of the demonstrators, whose name is given, met his death.
  676. 676 In these circumstances, having regard to the gravity of the allegations made and to the fact that the exercise of the right to strike may affect freedom of association, the Committee has considered it necessary to obtain additional information from the Government before it can make its recommendations to the Governing Body on this aspect of the complaint.
  677. 677 The Committee therefore recommends the Governing Body to request the Government to state, if the strike movement in question was not of a trade union character, what was the real character of the strike, and also to indicate whether the alleged bloodshed did or did not occur in the course of this strike movement, and, particularly, whether it is true that Mr. Abdel Hussein Khan Ali met his death and, if so, what were the precise circumstances in which this occurred. Pending receipt of this information the Committee recommends that consideration of this aspect of the case be adjourned.
• Allegations relating to Arrests of Workers by Reason of the Trade Union Activity of the Persons Concerned
  678. 678 The complainants allege in general terms that trade union rights are constantly infringed in Iran. As an instance they state that in January 1961 the workers of the Shahbaz, Vatan and Pashmabaf workshops at Isfahan, and workers from other areas, were arrested and tortured on account of their trade union activities.
  679. 679 In its reply the Government formally denies the alleged restriction of the exercise of trade union rights by workers at the three factories mentioned in the complaint. It says - that the allegations on this point are baseless and tendentious.
  680. 680 The Government's reply complainants' allegations are almost equally imprecise. The W.F.T.U fails to mention the names of the persons alleged to have been arrested, nor does it make any precise statement regarding the circumstances in which the alleged arrests were made and particularly regarding the " trade union activities " to which they are said to have been due.
  681. 681 In these circumstances, having regard to the fact that the W.F.T.U has not provided any supplementary information in support of its complaint, although given an opportunity to do so by a letter from the Director-General dated 18 May 1961, the Committee considers that the complainants have not furnished sufficient proof of their allegations and therefore recommends the Governing Body to decide that this aspect of the case does not call for further examination.
• Allegations relating to Certain Arrests and Executions
  682. 682 The complainants state that in 1960 ten militant workers and students were arrested and sentenced to death, and that five of these persons were executed.
  683. 683 In its reply the Government states that these allegations have already been examined in connection with a previous case.
  684. 684 It is correct that these allegations have already been examined by the Committee in connection with Case No. 236 (Iran). On that occasion the Committee considered that the complainants had not furnished evidence that the events alleged were related to the trade unionist character of the persons concerned (this character is not even alleged) or to any trade union activity on their part. As the complainants do not adduce any elements of evidence additional to what was placed before the Committee in connection with the abovementioned previous case, the Committee considers that there is no reason for it to re-examine these allegations and therefore recommends the Governing Body to decide that no useful purpose would be served by pursuing further its examination of this aspect of the case.