Alternative Workers News Iran – 219
Supporting the people's rights movement; moving towards freedom andequality, not a return to the past
Protests. and popular strikes in various cities across the country have entered their 11th day. (This statement was written on January 7) Despite the heightened security situation, the heavy presence of law enforcement and security forces, and violent clashes, the scope of the protests remains broad and diverse. According to reports, at least 174 locations in 60 cities across 25 provinces have witnessed protests during this period, and hundreds of protesters have been arrested. Unfortunately, at least 35 protesting citizens, including children, have lost their lives during this same period.
From January 2017 to August 2022 and September 2019, the oppressed people of Iran have repeatedly demonstrated in the streets that they cannot stand the prevailing economic-political relations and structures based on exploitation and inequality. These movements were formed not to return to the past, but to build a future free from the domination of capital, based on freedom, equality, social justice, and human dignity.
While expressing solidarity with the popular struggles against poverty, unemployment, discrimination and oppression, we explicitly declare our opposition to any return to a past dominated by inequality, corruption and injustice. We believe that true liberation is only possible through the conscious and organized leadership and participation of the working class and oppressed people, not through the reproduction of old and authoritarian forms of power. In the meantime, workers, teachers, retirees, nurses, students, women and especially youth, despite widespread repression, arrests, dismissals and livelihood , continue to be at the forefront of these struggles, and the Workers' Union of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company emphasis the need for continued independent, conscious and organized protests.
We have said many times and repeat it again: The path to liberation for workers and toilers lies not through carrying leaders from above the people, nor through reliance on foreign powers, nor through factions within the govern- ment but through the path of unity, solidarity, and the creation of independent organizations in the workplace and the national level. We must not allow ourselves to once again become victims of the power games and interests of classes.
The syndicate also strongly condemns any propaganda, justification or support for military inter- venation by foreign governments, including the US and Israel. Such intervention not only led to the destruction of civil society and the killing of people, but also provided another excise for the continuation of violence and repre - session by the government. Experience has shown that western domineering governments do not place the slightest value on the freedom, livelihood and rights of the Iranian people.
We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all the detainees and emphasize the need to identify and prosecute those who ordered and carried out the killings.
Long live freedom, equality and class solidarity.
The solution for the working class is unity and organization.
Workers’ Syndicate of Tehran and suburbs buss company
January 7, 2016
Statement of the Kurdistan Teachers Trade Association in support of people’s national uprising
The Kurdistan Teachers Trade Association (Sanandaj, Saqes va Zivia, Marivan and Sarah Abad)
In Iran, the chaotic order of the economy as result of absence of decades of compe tent management, extensive corrupt- tion at higher levels of administration, cronyism by privileged progenies and … has devastated the livelihood of most of the population. In such conditions, people have again come to streets to demonstrate for their just demands. Gather- ings started from Bazar (the traditional marketplace), but quickly it was joined by other strata of population and its nature stretched from an economical protest to socio-political demands. Unfortunately, the ruling establishment, simi- lar to the past practices, not only did not respond to people’s rightful demands but began the policy of crushing repression that resulted in the carnage of many people especially youth in different cities.
During these painful tragedies and the national uprising, a certain tendency tried to capture this popular movement using its press power, resorting to fake historical “positive” living circumstances in the past. It should be clear that no person or political current has the right to take advantage of people’s struggle and use it as means to capture power or impose its political drive. Public opinion in Iran has knowledge of the bloody past during the reigning of monarchy and warns the people about its plot to take over. Teacher’s trade movement in its more than 70 years of struggle has always taken progressive approaches in the direction of freedom and justice. This movement recognizes the rightful gatherings in the society and declares its solidarity with the protests in Iran. It is obvious that the owners of power, wealth and rent are fearful of an increase in protests and want to suppress it. Therefore, we recommend the military and security forces to disobey orders that violate human rights and stay on the side of people.
The Kurdistan Teachers Trade Association, as a section of the national Iranian teachers movement, recognizes the recent protest movement as an extension of the “zen, zian azadi” uprising for transformation. This movement demands structural transformations, emphasizing the role of women and accepting polarity and diversity in nationality, religion and culture Iranian geography. We identify ourselves as part of Kurdistan civil society and along with the Kurd nation demand effective and permanent revolutionary changes in the direction of humanity, liberty and equality where poverty, discrimination and injustice does not exist in the society.
The Kurdistan Teachers Trade Association (Sanandaj, Saqes va Zivia, Marivan and Sarah Abad)
January 4, 2026
Iran: ITUC condemns brutal repression of . and trade unionists amid escalating crises
The ITUC strongly condemns the violent repression of workers as protests and strikes have spread nationwide since late 2025 in response to a deepening economic and social crisis. Iran’s economic collapse is having a devastating impact on the daily lives of working people, particularly women and children. Millions are being pushed into poverty by the rapid currency depreciation, accelerating inflation, soaring prices for food and essential goods, the sustained erosion of real wages, growing unemployment, and the rapid expansion of insecure and precarious forms of work.
“These conditions constitute a profound violation of workers’ economic and social rights and are driving legitimate and wides- pread protests. The Iranian authorities must engage in genuine social dialogue, and stop criminalising legitimate protest, and immediately cease the use of arbitrary detention, torture and surveillance.” said ITUC General Secretary Luc Triangle.
Workers in key sectors, including public services, education, healthcare, oil and gas and manufacturing, as well as in the informal economy, are heavily affected and increasingly drawn into protests are no longer confined to isolated urban centres.
Instead of engaging in social dialogue or respecting international labour standards, the authorities continue to:
Systematically treat labour protests, strikes and collective action as threats to “national security”. This deliberate securitisation of labour relations is being used to criminalise trade union activity, suppress free speech and peaceful assembly, and justify excessive force, mass surveillance, arbitrary detention and judicial harassment.
Effectively ban independent trade unions. Workers are denied the right to freely establish and join organisations of their own choosing, in clear violation of ILO Conventions No. 87 and No. 98. Trade unionists and labour rights defenders continue to face severe reprisals, including lengthy prison sentences, torture and, in the most extreme cases, death sentences - simply for exercising their fundamental rights.
Reports indicate that since late 2025 the expansion of protests has been met with intensified state repression, including the use of lethal force, resulting in deaths and mass detentions.
Luc Triangle continued: “The ITUC condemns these actions unequivocally and calls for an immediate end to violence, full respect for human and trade union rights, and accountability for abuses.
“We are witnessing in Iran the systematic crushing of workers’ rights under the false pretext of national security. Workers exercising their right to claim decent jobs with fair wages continue to be met with repression, imprisonment or even death sentences.
“Working people in Iran have had enough and further repression will not bring a solution. The Iranian authorities must now engage in social dialogue, immediately stop criminalising trade union activity, release all detained trade unionists, and comply with their obligations under international labour and human rights law to build a new social contract in Iran.”
The ITUC stands in full solidarity with workers and trade unionists in Iran and calls on the ILO, UN human rights mechanisms and . the international community to intensify scrutiny and exert sustained pressure to ensure respect for fundamental labour rights.
Iran: Syndicalist Organizations of France . in Solidarity with Women an
The Syndicalist Organizations of France, FSU, UNSA, CGT, CFDT and Solidaires declare their total support of the current move- ments and protests in Iran, the movements that have been formed amid economic collapse, hyperinflation and explosive expansion of poverty.
Against this justified anger and this powerful mobilization the answer by the Islamic Republic of Iran has been severe increase in suppression, vast and systematic contravention of human rights and repeated assault on fundamental liberties.
Today, the protestors report hundreds killed, massive arrests, arbitrary detentions and enforcing violence against them. Security Forces have even raided the hospitals where the injured had been taken to.
Since a few weeks before, Iranian authorities have increased arbitrary detentions, have increased the violence and increased serious impediments against the defenders of human rights. Social and synodical demands have been systematically dealt with as committing crimes. Judicial and Security apparatus have created an ambience of terror and try to nip in the bud any collective protest. These actions are an obvious violation of Iran's international obligations, especially violation of the fundamental agreements of the Inter- national Labor Organization and the international conventions regarding civil, economic, social and cultural rights.
The French syndicalist organizations condemn the systematically dealing with social and syndical demands as committing crimes as well as using the Judicial and Security apparatus to extinguish any protest. They also condemn the interventionist efforts by the States of America and Israel.
Women have a pivotal position in the recent protests and movement; the protests that have restarted from the latter part of Decem- ber in many cities of the country. Their participation is not limited to only economic demands, but is situated in a framework of a more expansive demand against the violation of fundamental rights and gender discrimination imposed by the Mullahs' regime. Women are faced with a particular suppression, especially violent: mass arrests, arbitrary detentions, sexual rape and all sorts of physical violences ...
The youth is also at the center of this movement and from the very beginning has been the target of the suppression, many of them are detained and sentenced to heavy terms and some are executed after summary trial and without considering any right of the accused; all these actions fall in the obvious strategy of creating terror with the aim of preventing the youth of Iran to participate in this movement.
The syndicalist organizations of France, FSU, UNSA, CGT, CFDT and Solidaires unwaveringly emphasize their commitment in international solidarity among the workers and people. They ask French, European Union's authorities and all the related inter- national institutions to take action resolutely and without any vagueness for immediate end to suppression and respect for fundament- al liberties, support and guarantee the safety of all individuals involved in the movement.
They particular demand the following cases:
Immediate end to the suppression of the social, syndicate and civil protests.
The freedom to organize and to protest.
Releasing all individuals who have been detained for seeking their fundamental rights.
Respecting all the international obligations of the Iranian Government regarding human rights and the syndicale freedoms.
Immediate end to executions and an end to the death penalty.
The syndicate organizations of France will continue to pursue these demands in all national, European and international inst- itutions. They support Iranian workers and the totality of Iran's civil society in their struggle for social justice and fundamental freedoms. They also call for everybody participate in the gathering of Saturday January 17 at 3:00 pm in Pantheon Square.
Paris, 13, January, 2026
CFDT (French Democratic Confederation of Labour
CGT (General Confederation of Labour)
FSU (Unitary Union Federation)
Solidaires (Union syndicale Solidaires)
UNSA National Union of Autonomous Trade Unions)
Solidarity Message of MUA Branch Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney Branch to Iranians
Brothers, sisters and comrades.
The MUA stands with the Iranian working class, youth and all peoples against them oppressors and this murderous oppressive regime. The right to protest and organise is a fundamental human right. A right that the working class continue to fight for Comrades, it is a fundamental right to protest exploitation and persecution. The Iranian people must have the right to determine their future without US-Israel imperialism or ANY imperialism globally.
The Iranian working class must have the right to organise and to build independent trade unions through struggle, free of political persecution, torture and killing. Right now, the working class must come together, internationally, to defend our interests of equality and justice for all people We must continue our fight for a world free of the capitalist exploitation we are subjected to. Let us stand for peace, unite in struggle and fight for socialism. Let us stand with our First Nations brothers and sisters. See you at the Invasion Day rally on Gadigal tomorrow.
Paul Keating (Keato) Branch Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia, Sydney Branch
SHORT NEWS
* - Tehran Tuesday, December 30 Tehran's Republic Steet People confront the forces of repression and the escape of government officials
*- The strike of workers at the Zarshuran Takab mine continues. The workers' demand is for welfare rights, fair payment, and the elimination of discrimination. Zarshuran is one of the largest gold mines in the country. The workers of the Zar- shuran Takab gold mine have been on strike for more than ten days in protest of their unfavorable situation. 400 heads of families work in the country's largest gold mine and produce enormous wealth; but they themselves are immersed in poverty and misery.
*- Khorramabad Saturday, January 3, 2026 https://t.me/komite_h/48096
Last night was once again the scene of protests and unrest; a clear sign of the continued anger of the people who will not retreat with repression and censorship. The streets are a testament to the fact that the crisis is too deep to be resolved with a cursory glance and the gap between the people and the government is becoming more apparent every day.
*- Gathering of union and labor activists and retirees in Gilan
https://t.me/komite_h/48173https://t.me/komite_h/48174 https://t.me/komite_h/48175
On Sunday, January 4th, like previous Sundays, a group of union activists, workers, and retirees gathered in front of the Gilan Social Security Organization protesters chanted slogans of "Poverty, corruption and lawlessness, death to tyranny" and "Solidarity, unity, end of oppression and lawl essness" while expressing solidarity with the nation the repression of people in various cities. In this field action, the protesters chanted slogans of "No to execu tions" and expressed their solidarity with Tuesday's No to Executions campaign.
United People Will Never FallIt is with nationwide unity and solidarity that the atmosphere of repression will be broken.
*_Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Iran, warned about the scale of human casualties during the revolutionary uprising, saying that the current estimates could be much higher than the initial figures 855. Some sentences may contain gender-specific alternatives. Click a sentence to see alternatives. Learn more. He explained that initial estimates put the death toll at around 5,000 or more, but information received from doctors inside the country suggests that the number of victims may have reached at least 20,000. The UN official stressed that the discrepancy between official figures and field reports has raised serious concerns about the extent of the violence and the true number of casualties.
*- Heravi-Pasdaran neighborhood; shooting in front of the police station and injuries to a large number of citizens many citizens were shot in the Heravi-Pasdaran neighborhood, in front of the Pasdaran police station, by armed forces on January 8. According to field reports, many citizens were injured by gunfire and there are also reports of a number of deaths. Eyewitnesses say that as the shooting intensified, People took refuge in nearby buildings, and in many buildings, residents several wounded people to save their lives. The wounded were taken into parking lots to avoid further shooting. The number of wounded was so great that almost every building in the area was turned into a temporary shelter for the wounded. Heravi-Pasdaran neighborhood; Shooting in front of the police station, wounding many citizens .
The Islamic Republic has executed more than 1,870 people in Iran since the beginning of 2025.
Since the beg inning of 2025, the Islamic Republic of Iran has executed more than 1,870 people in Iran. According to human rights sources, the Islamic Republic of Iran has executed more than 1,870 individuals since the beginning of 2025 (January 1st, 2025. This shocking figure indicates the . continuation and intensification of the death penalty policy in Iran.
