The Iranian free and independent union movement fights for fundamental labour rights, despite repression, imprisonment, executions, and extrajudicial murder.
The legal framework existing in Iran enormously limits independent trade union activity within and outside enterprises. The Iranian free and independent trade union movements still fights for fundamental labour rights while facing habitual acts of repression, imprisonment, execution and extrajudicial murder. Despite the theoretical recognition of freedom of association, independent trade unions are not allowed to be created and operate within the employers’ premises where only the government sponsored union of the Workers’ House of the Islamic Republic of Iran is allowed. This is in a socio-political context where workers that are suspected of being affiliated to independent unions are regularly dismissed and arrested. Any sort of collective action is repressed in violence and strikes are impeded by security forces, riot police and the militia. The government sponsors pro-regime Islamic Labour Councils, tripartite organizations containing worker and employer representatives and government appointees. These Councils manage centrally the system of industrial relations, practically operating as instruments of the state at the workplace. Therefore, they are hugely unpopular in the Iranian labour movement and vigorously opposed by independent trade unions.
Furthermore, the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action – also known as the «Iranian Nuclear Deal» - in July 2015 brought a new challenge for Iranian workers: in order to attract foreign capital, the labour market has been further liberalised, weakening labour law protections and guarantees.