The FTN conference in support of the “Charter of the minimum demands”, was held successfully,

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March 1,2023

( Below are the links to the conference speeches)

At the call of Free Them Now (FTN) campaign to free jailed workers in Iran, an international conference was held online with the participation of some representatives of unions and various organizations and institutions from Canada, England, France, Iran, Iraq, and the United States in support of the charter of 20 organizations. The conference was arranged in English and Farsi and was broadcast live on New Channel TV and social media. Meysam Atiq from the new channel TV managed this conference and Bahram Soroush from the Islamic Republic Boycott campaign was one of the speakers who in the same time helped in translating the speeches into Farsi and English. FTN sincerely appreciates the new channel TV and Bahram Soroush.

At the beginning of the conference, Shahla Daneshfar, the spokesperson of FTN, welcomed the speakers and gave a speech about the importance of the Charter of Minimum Demands of 20 Organizations and described the Charter as a social force and a platform for the unity of the ranks of the people in the woman life Freedom revolution. She called it a manifesto that is the voice of society’s protests and demands to end a hundred years of dictatorship and exploitation.

Stephen Von Sichovski, Secretary General of VDLC, the Council of Trade Unions in Vancouver and Suburbs, defended the rights of citizens in Iran and announced his union’s support for the charter.

 In a speech in Arabic, which was translated into Persian and English, Saeed Nama, the secretary of the Federation of Iraqi Trade Unions, said that the Islamic regime violates the basic rights of workers and people and should be condemned, and this charter is a step towards the freedom of the people.

Peter Tatchell, a well-known defender of human rights and the rights of LGBTQs in England, defended the charter and emphasized the global boycott of the Islamic regime and criticized the British government for tolerating the Islamic Republic.

Judy Phipps, the deputy general secretary of the BCGEU Canada, also condemned the Islamic regime for violating the basic rights of workers and people and said that if I were in Iran, I would be arrested, imprisoned and tortured because of these union activities I do now. She said that she is going to the meeting of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), where she will raise the voice of the woman life freedom revolution.

Shiva Mahbobi, Spokeswoman for Campaign to Free Political Prisoners in Iran (CFPPI) emphasized the importance of the Charter of 20 Organizations and defended it and called for its support.

Masoud Arjang, Secretary of Local 803, Public Employees Union of British Columbia, Social Health Services Department, also defended the charter and said that this charter lays a solid foundation for the rights of workers and people.

Eric Lerner, a left-wing political activist from the United States of America, defended the clause of the Charter and said his Luxemberist organization is preparing and approving a resolution in defence of the Charter of the 20 Organizations. Farhad Mirzaei, a teacher from Iran and a member of the trade association of the Cultural Council, who is a signatory of the charter, supported the charter and defended the human rights of citizens and teachers.

Hassan Salehi, the spokesperson of the Hasan Salehi, Spokesperson of The International Committee against Execution, also defended the Charter decisively and said that defending the Charter against the abolition of the death penalty is very important, especially in Iran.

Laurent Joly  from the Committee of French Syndicalists and a member of CGT federation unfortunately could not stay in the conference and present his words due to some urgent work that happened to him, but in his written message he said that we defend the minimum charter of the organizations and we are working to publish it.

Bahram Soroush, the coordinator of the boycott campaign of the Islamic regime, also emphasized the importance of the charter of 20 organizations and called it an important and historic step in the revolution of Woman,Life, Freedom revolution. Raheleh Rahimpour,, one of the women from justice seeking movement in Iran, condemned the crimes of the Islamic regime and mentioned the charter as a step to get rid of these hellish conditions.

Kazem Nikkhah, head of FTN international relations, was the last speaker, and while summarizing the conference topics and thanking the participants for attending the conference and the new channel TV and the efforts of Bahram Soroush, in addition to the importance of the points raised in the conference, he said that this charter was the invention of no one person or organisation, rather, it is a social charter, it has arisen from the heart of the society and gives objectivity to Woman, Life, Freedom Revolution.

During the conference, the text of the charter was presented and broadcast as a clip with English subtitles, and at the end, a clip by the Music for Iran campaign was shown, in which more than fifty music bands from England and several other countries announced that in support of Free Them Now and the revolution in Iran, they will allocate the income from sale of one of their songs to FTN’s fund in support of the workers in Iran.

The efforts and struggle of FTN to promote the charter of minimum demands will continue actively in different ways..

Free Them Now!

03-03-2023

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Shahla Daneshfar’s speech in Conference

I am Shahla Daneshfar, spokesperson of FREE them now (campaign to free jailed workers in Iran). I welcome all the speekers and all those who follow its discussions on TV and online. Free Them Now has organized this conference in support of the charter of 20 trade unions and civil organizations in Iran. Thank you for accepting our invitation and participating in this conference. Fortunately, the charter of 20 organizations has met with a wave of support and solidarity. In recent days, trade unions in Denmark announced their support. The VDLC Trade Union Council and the BCGEU Public Service Workers Union in British Columbia in Canada and the Federation of Trade Unions in Iraq have also supported this charter and their representatives are participating in this conference today. In addition, 9 organizations, the International Committee against Execution, Campaign to free Political Prisoners in Iran, No to Taboo, International Federation of Iranian Refugees, Campaign to Boycott the Islamic Republic of Iran, Women’s Rights Association, Central Committee of X-Muslim Scandinavia, Children First Now together with Free Them Now supported the charter together in a joint statement. . The list of such supports is extensive. In Iran, 18 organizations of students and revolutionary youth groups have jointly supported this charter, and women’s rights defenders and social groups have independently supported this charter. In addition, this charter has been supported by many political parties and institutions, including the worker- Communist Party of Iran and some other left parties.

 The clear reason that this charter has met with such a reflection and reception is that it has a strong social base. Because this manifesto in reality is not points that are only on paper. Rather, powerful social movements are behind it. Its clauses are street floor slogans and have been expressed many times in protest gatherings of workers, teachers, retirees and different sections of the society. Its clauses are the subjects of protests of all people in the revolution of woman, life, freedom. Therefore, this charter is not just the statements of the 20 organizations endorsing it. Rather, the charter of the current revolution.  This charter represents the radical and left front of the society, and in a sense represents the 99% of the society.

 A key point of this charter is that it wants to end more than a hundred years of oppression and exploitation in Iran, and goes on by saying that these people will no longer allow anyone to make decisions from above of the society, and it emphasizes the sovereignty of the people and councils. The minimum demands of this charter are fundamental demands, and commands from the people against Capital punishment, in defence of women’s rights and all sections of society, and for the widest political freedoms in society. As such, this charter is the banner of the unity of the ranks of the revolution. Therefore, this manifesto shows the maturity and at the same times the depth of the current revolution in Iran.

The charter of 20 organizations, along with the organized calls of protest by 52 organizations of students and youths and women’s rights activists and social institutions, shows the depth and radicalism of this revolution. Including today, on the eve of International Women’s Day, March 8, this Charter will put its stamp on this day, and we are continuing the revolution by calling 52 organizations to celebrate International Women’s Day nationwide. Long live the woman, life, freedom.

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میثم عتیق : معرفی منشور ۲۰ تشکل و حمایت های صورت گرفته از آن

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Stephen von Sychowski’s speech

سخنرانی استفان سی چوسکی، دبیرکل شورای اتحادیه های کارگران در بریتیش کلمبیا (با ترجمه فارسی)

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Saeed Nama’s speech,

ترجمه فارسی و انگلیسی صحبت های سعید نعما دبیر کل فدراسیون اتحادیه های کارگری عراق از امضا کنندگان کمپین بایکوت جمهوری اسلامی و اخراج این رژیم از سازمان جهانی کار

رفقای عزیز کارگر درود می فرستم

سازمان بین‌المللی کار شامل کارگران، کارفرمایان و دولت‌ها می‌شود، کنفرانس‌هایی سالانه برگزار می‌کند که از طریق آن موافقت‌نامه‌ها و توصیه‌هایی را صادر می‌کند که کشورهای عضو را ملزم به رعایت آن‌ها می‌کند. میثاق‌ها و میثاق‌های بین‌المللی وجود دارد که بیشتر آنها احترام به حقوق و آزادی‌ها را تصریح می‌کنند. متأسفانه برخی کشورها هستند که این حقوق و آزادی ها را زیر پا می گذارند و با کسانی که خواستار آن هستند با خشونت، دستگیری، آزار و اذیت و ترور برخورد می کنند و این همان چیزی است که در مورد فعالان کارگری یا مدنی در عراق رخ می دهد. نقض آشکار حقوق و آزادی های صنفی است. اما در ایران طبق اطلاعات داريم، نقض حقوق گسترده تر است بزكتر است حتی گروهی از کارگران صنفی را به زندان انداخت و این برخلاف همه ستاندردها و نورمهاست، بنابراین سازمان جهانی کار باید در کنار کارگران بایستد و آن را محکوم کند. کشورهایی که این حقوق و آزادی ها را زیر پا می گذارند و در لیست سیاه قرار بدهند و در صورت ادامه نقض حقوق از عضویت سازمان اخراج بکنند. . دولت ایران از مرزهای نقض حقوق و آزادی ها فراتر رفته است، سازمان جهانی کار باید در قبال این نقض ها موضع گیری کند.

در نهایت به «منشور حداقل مطالبات اتحادیه های مستقل کارگری و تشکل های مدنی ایران» برخوردیم که منشور مهمی است و بیانگر آرمان های انقلاب ایران برای رسیدن به شعار انقلابی «زن، زندگی، آزادی» است. ما نیز به نوبه خود از همبستگی با میلیون‌ها توده ایرانی که در چهار ماه گذشته خیابان‌ها را ترک نکردند و بهترین دختران و جوانان خود را -برای رسیدن به آنها قربانی کردند، حمایت می‌کنیم.

-آزادی برای همه کارگران بازداشت شده و پیروزی برای کارگران. زنده باد همبستگی کارگری

تشکر میکنم. سعید نیما ناصر دبیر کل فدراسیون اتحادیه های کارگری در عراق

Greeting to all, Dear worker comrades:

The International Labor Organization (ILO) is one of the most important organizations that was formed and established in relation to labor rights. The goals of ILO are tripartite collaboration of governments, labor organizations and employers. In order to fulfill its goals, ILO holds annual conferences to deal with issues and problems related to labour’s work conditions and issues, agreements and recommendations requiring member states to comply. As per ILO declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at work, there are agreements and international covenants, most of which stipulate respect for rights and freedoms of workers.

Unfortunately, there are some countries that violate these rights and freedoms and treat those who demand it with violence, arrest, persecution, and terror, that is what happens to labor or civil activists in Iraq which is a clear violation of the rights and freedoms of the trade unions.

But in Iran, according to our information, violations of rights are extensive including imprisoning a group of trade unions and this is in violation of the ILO’s conventions. This is the ILO’s responsibility to stand with the workers’ rights and expel the membership of the countries who violate these rights and freedoms and put them on blacklist. In this matter, the Iranian government has gone beyond the boundaries of violations of rights and freedoms, and the ILO must take a stand against these violations.

Finally, we have come across the “Charter of The Minimum Demands of Independent Trade Unions and Civil Organizations in Iran”, which is an important charter and represents the aspirations of the Iranian revolution under the slogan of “women, life, freedom”. We, General of the Federation of Trade Unions in Iraq, support solidarity with the millions of Iranians who have not left the streets in the past six months and sacrificed the lives of their loved ones to achieve the goal of revolution under the slogan of “Women Life Freedom”.

Free all detained workers and a victory for the workers.

Long live labor solidarity! you have my full support and appreciation.

Saeed Nima Nasser, Secretary General of the Federation of Trade Unions in Iraq

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Peter Tatchell’s speech

سخنرانی پیتر تاتچل (مدیر، بنیاد پیتر تاتچل، انگلستان با ترجمه فارسی

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Judy Phipps’s speech

سخنرانی جودی فیپز، از اتحادیه کارگران خدمات عمومی در بریتیش کلمبیا (با ترجمه فارسی)

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Shiva Mahbobi’s speech with English translation

سخنرانی شیوا محبوبی، سخنگوی کمیته مبارزه برای آزادی زندانیان سیاسی

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Masoud Arjang’s speech

سخنرانی مسعود ارژنگ، دبیر لوکال ۸۰۳ خدمات بهداشت جامعه (با ترجمه فارسی)

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Farhad Mirzaie’s speech with English translation

سخنان فرهاد میزایی از فعالین معلم در ایران

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Eric Lerner’s speech

سخنرانی اریک لرنر یک فعال سوسیالیست و از سوسیالیستهای قدیمی در آمریکا و عضو شبکه بین المللی لوگزمبرگیست با ترجمه فارسی آن

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Hasan Salehi’s speech , Spokesperson of The International Committee against Execution

سخنرانی حسن صالحی، سخنگوی کمیته بین المللی علیه اعدام (با ترجمه انگلیسی)

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Raheleh Rahemi Pour’s speech

پیام راحله راحمی پور، از خانواده های دادخواه (با ترجمه انگلیسی)

Bahram Soroush’s speech

سخنرانی بهرام سروش، سخنگوی کمپین بایکوت جهانی جمهوری اسلامی (با ترجمه فارسی)

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Kazmem Nikkhah’s speech

سخنرانی کاظم نیکخواه، مسئول روابط بین المللی کمپین برای آزادی کارگران زندانی (با ترجمه فارسی)