Since we launched our campaign in support of the Iranian Workers’ Solidarity Network signatures have started to come in from around the world. In Pakistan ten Members of Parliament have sponsored the campaign. In Greece some very important trade union leaders have signed up. The biggest and most influential student organisation in Spain, the Sindicato de Estudiantes, has added its name to the list of sponsors. We have also received support from other countries, as you can see below. The fact that workers and youth from around the world are focusing their attention on the plight of the Iranian workers will have an impact inside Iran. It will encourage the workers and youth who are struggling for their rights, and will make them understand that they are not isolated but have the support of the workers of the world. The new signatures are highlighted in RED.
Austria
Lis Mandl, shop steward KuS,
Ina Ratzenböck, NEC Young Socialists, Austria
Eva Nesensohn, NEC Young Socialists, Austria
Vorarlberg Young Socialists
Vienna-Alsergrund branch Young Socialists
Vienna-Josefsstadt branch Young Socialists
Mödling branch Young Socialists
Linz-Römerberg branch Young Socialists
Matthias Specht, member CC Lower Austria Young Socialists
Karin Jaschke, member CC Vienna Young Socialists
Josef Falkinger, member CC Upper Austria Young Socialists
Belgium
Miguel
Rubio, former convenor of the Metal Workers Union of Diamant Boart (CMB-FGTB)
Brecht Desmet, member of the student council, University of Gent
Mischa Van Herck, member of the Socialist Party Antwerp and trainer in the
Socialist Trade Union, the ABVV,
Fabian Defraine, Independent Socialist Councillor in Tubize,
Maarten Van Heuverzwijn, member of student council, University of Gent,
Roland Vanderbeke, member of the Executive of the Socialist Public Services
Union, Oostende (ACOD)
Erik De Bruyn, shop steward Socialist Public Services Union, City of Antwerp (ACOD)
Lin Van Rompaey, shop steward Socialist Public Services Union, City of Antwerp (ACOD),
André Gonsalis, chairman of the Public Services Union, Veurne branch and Shop
Steward of the Teachers’ Union (ACOD)
Bart Desmet, shop steward, Public Transport Union, (ACOD)
Wim Benda, editorial board of the Marxist paper Vonk,
Noshin Malik, student at the Provincial Academy of Limburg
Britain
Nigel Pearce, NEC member, NUM
Phil Waker, NEC member, CWU
Rachael Webb, Branch Secretary 1/888 RTC, TGWU
Ian Woodland, Branch Secretary 2/195 RTC, TGWU
Des Heemskerk, Amicus Media and Campaigns Officer, [Personal Capacity]
Peter Currall, Convenor, Corus Tubes Corby, AEEU
Phil Willis, Construction Shop Steward, Heathrow Terminal 5, Amicus-AEEU
Espe Espigares, Shop Steward, Amicus-AEEU
Rachel Heemskerk, PCS Shop Steward
TGWU 1/888 Truckers branch
Dave Mitchell, PCS Assistant Group Secretary, Home
Office Group (Personal Capacity)
Denmark:
Michael Styrk, member of the student council, Toender
Silas Boesen, member of the EC of the students council, Roskilde
Jeppe Druedahl, member of the student council, Roskilde
Joannes Stykki, member of the board of the postal workers club, Copenhagen (Noerrbro)
Lasse Bertelsen, member of the extended board of the painters union, Copenhagen
Marie Frederiksen, member of the national leadership of Socialist Youth Front
Klaus Münster, chairman of Socialist Youth Front, Sydhimmerland
Andreas Bülow, member of Socialist youth Front, Roskilde
Greece
Stelios Dafnis, Member of the Executive Committee of the Athens Trade
Council,
Tsitonis Takis, Member of the Executive Committee of the Archaeological Workers
Union,
Dimarogonas Dimos, Member of the Executive Committee of the Greek Federation of
Unions in the Ministry of Culture,
Nikakis Dimitris, Vice President of the Shop Workers’ Union,
Nikolaou Martha, Member of the Executive Committee of the Shop Workers’ Union
Polatos Dionisios, Member of the Executive Committee of the Shipyard Workers’
Union,
Milonas Elias, union member in Olympic Catering,
Thanos George, trade union activist at Olympic Airways,
Karigianis Leonidas, Member of the Unemployment Workers’ Committee of the
Athens Trade Council,
Voulis Dimitris, Ex-president of the National Ambulance Service workers’ union
Kanelopoulou Christina, Member of PASOK Youth Athens Committee.
Karagianopoulos Stamatis, Member of B4 district Committee of PASOK Youth.
Gougoussis Spiros, Editor of “SOSIALISTIKI EKFRASI”
Doulos Orestis, PASOK Youth member
Sapranidis Nikos, PASOK Youth member
Karaiskos Theodoros, PASOK member
Bouras Kostas, PASOK member
Italy:
Francesco Bavila, University Students’ Committee, Milan
Vittorio Saldutti, University Students’ Committee, Naples
Dario Salvetti, University Students’ Committee, Milan
Giovanni Savino, Committee in Defence of State Education, Caserta
Sara Parlavecchia, Committee in Defence of State Education, Milan
Matteo Molinaro, Committee in Defence of State Education, Udine
I support completely the resolution on Iran's labour
conditions and the Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network (IWSN) campaign.
Paolo Brini, member of the Central Committee of the Italian metalworkers’
trade union Fiom-Cgil
Davide Bacchelli, member of the general council of Bologna of the metal workers' trade union (Fiom-CGIL)
Pakistan
The following Members of Parliament (MNAs) in Pakistan have put their signature to the resolution:
Ch Manzoor Ahmed,
Qamar uz Zaman Qaira,
Zafar Iqbal Waraich,
Zulfiqar Gondal,
Tasneem Nawaz Quraishi (female MP),
Imtiaz Safdar Waraich,
Fozia Wahab (female MP),
Dr Fehmeeda Wirza (female MP),
Naseem Chaudry,
Mehreen Anwar Raja female MP)
Comradely,
PTUDC, Pakistan, December 19, 2003
1.Manzoor Razi (Railway Workers Union)
2. Mohammad Ahmad Warsi (Postal Workers Union)
3. Mirza Maqsood Ahmad (Mazdoor Mahaz-E-Ammal)
4. Dhani Bux Samon (Pakistan Steel Mills)
5. Naveed Aftab (Pakistan Steel Mills)
6. Parshotam (Pakistan Para Medical Staff Union)
7. Liaqat Sahee (State Bank Of Pakistan Union)
8. Sheikh Majeed (Pakistan International Airlines & Peoples Labour Beauro)
9. Manzoor Badayooni (Karachi Metro Politan Corporation Union)
10. Naeem Gull Advocate (Peoples Lawyers 6Forum)
11. Azam Azmati Advocate (Peoples Lawyers Forum)
12. Mohammad Zaheer Khan (Peoples Lawyers Forum)
13. Ghulam Mohammad Phawan (Sui Gas Department Union)
14. Shanker (Union Of Journalists)
15. Sanwal Sheikh (Union Of Journalists).
17. Nisar Chandeo (APT)
18. Rasool Bux (Paramedics)
19. Wali Mohammad Kosa (Para Medics)
20. Abid Salawat (Hyder Abad Development Authority Employees Union)
21. Easer Das
22. Khalid Noor Sheikh (All Pakistan Clerks Association)
23. Mohammad Ali (All Pakistan Clerks Association)
24. Pir Mohammad (Sindhi Electricity Department).
25. Idrees Shah (Paramedics Union)
26. Ghulam Nabee Awan (Pakistan Railways).
27. Ghulam Hussain Peasants Workers Union (Central President)
28. Dr. Shaidar
29. Nazeer
30. Mohammad Iqbal Kirmani (Karachi Port Trust).
31. Hameed Khan (Civil Secretariat Employees Union)
32. Nazar Maingal (Post Office Union)
33. Abdul Qadir Shaheen (Chairman Peoples Labour Beauro)
34. Shahida Jabeen (Info Secretary PPPP Women Wing)
35. Sajid Hussain (Syed Bhais Workers Union)
36. Mohammad Zahid (Syed Bhais Workers Union)
37. Mohammad Ilyas (Syed Bhais Workers Union)
38. Baber Kasuri (Pakistan Telecommunication)
39. Iftikhar Haider Jhatla (Pakistan Telecommunication)
40. Irshad (Electricity Dept)
41. Sajid Naeem Shoreeda (Teachers Association)
42. Yasir Irshad (JKNSF)
43. Zohaib (JKNSF)
44. Adil (JKNSF)
45. Shujat Kazmi (Jamu Kashmir National Student Federation)
46. Masood (Jamu Kashmir Student Liberation front)
47. Amir Razzaq (JKSLF)
48. Haider (Paramedics)
49. Sajjad Hussain (Textile Workers Union)
50. Iqbal Jellany (Power Looms Workers Union)
51. Adil (Pyo) President Faisalabad.
52. Akram (Peoples Youth Organization)
53. Mohammad Tariq Rasheed (Pakistan Poeples Party President Distt Kasur)
55. Sadar Zahra (Pyo) City President Lahore.
56. Javed Hashmir Advocate (Peoples Lawyers Forum)
57. Syed Karar Haider Shah (Pyo) President Khanaiwal
58. Anwar Phanwar (Organizer Ptudc Sindh)
59. Tariq Chaudhary,MEPCO Multan)
60. Shahwali Raajpoot (President Staff union [CBA]MDA)
61. Mujahid Pasha(President Wasa Workers Union)
62. Shehzad Ayub(Unilever Field Workers Association)
63. Javed Iqbal
64. Murtaza Shah (PTCL)
65. Riyaz Ghalib(Railway)
66. Allah Dita Qalandari(Railway)
67. Iqbal Shaad(Railway Worker Union)
68. Ibraheem Khosa (President People,S Unity,[PIA])
69. Javed Sanghaira (President Apca Multan)
70. Habibullah Shakir (Distt President PPP)
71. Malik Bashir (President Peoples,S Labor Beauro)
72. Akhtar Shah (G/S Peoples Beauro Distt Multan)
73. Aslam Ansari (Power Looms Association)
74. Zulifqar Noori (President Punjab Teacher's Union Multan)
75. Islamudin Aadil (President PPP Study Circle Wing)
76. Asif Kareem (G/S PPP Study Circle Wing Multan Distt)
77. Naeem Ansari (Labour Councilor U/C No.32)
Spain
Miriam Municio, Spanish Students´ Union General Secretary
M Murphy, Comite de Empresa, CCOO, Private Academy, Madrid
Sweden
I am very glad of this initiative. I will do my best to be a part of the campaign. I will try to spread this information in the labour movement of Sweden. I also know some people who were born in Iran but now life in Sweden. I think it is a good idea to make a campaign for workers’ rights. In Sweden the different Iranian groups normally put forward slogans such as democracy or freedom. But at the end of the day what does that mean, especially when some are working together with monarchists and Khatami type supporters.
In solidarity,
Martin Loof, Student at the University of Gothenburg
USA
As a Trade unionist and supporter of workers’ rights not only here in the USA but worldwide I send you greetings and extend my solidarity to your struggle that you have undertaken. Please let me know what I could do to support the Iranian Workers Solidarity Network. I would like to send a donation if you could tell me where to send it. I am a member of the Workers’ International League and a supporter of IDOM in Vancouver, Washington, USA.
Cort Greene - CNA, member- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 2269.
I would like to offer my complete support for Iranian workers in their struggles. You have comrades here in the US that will stand by you until the very end.
Peace and solidarity,
Josh Shelton,
Workers International League member,
Providence, Rhode Island, USA
Solidarity from the US! The St. Louis, USA, branch of the Workers International League will be doing our utmost to distribute your Appeal and in getting signatories. The working classes of Iran and United States are both threatened by the same enemy - the policies of US Imperialism's both foreign and domestic. The US government's bloody adventures around the world threaten not only the world's workers, but those here in the USA as well. Bush spends $87 billion to rebuild Iraq after his state has destroyed it, while we have millions unemployed in this country and every local government is experiencing the worst fiscal crisis since the 1930s! When US imperialism sends 400,000 workers in uniform to fight and die in Iraq, Bush's Cabinet cuts these soldiers’ combat pay and denies them their health benefits back home! We need International Solidarity to combat imperialism!
In Solidarity,
David May, on behalf of St. Louis WIL,
and member, Amalgamated Transit Union #788
This is Mark Rahman of the New Jersey branch of the WIL in the US. I am writing this e-mail with my comrades of the area at my side. I am going to compile a list of names to add. So here it goes. Dialectical Godspeed to the working class of Iran!!
Mark Rahman , New Jersey, USA, Workers' International League
Ryan Kristopovich, New Jersey, USA, Workers' International League
Tory Camp,New Jersey, USA, Workers' International League
Dan Tyman, Philadelphia, USA, Workers' International League
Andrew Fagan, Philadelphia, USA, Workers' International League
Shane Jones, Workers International League, Providence,
RI, USA
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