![]() ![]() Osanloo, who fled Iran after years of imprisonment and being stabbed in the tongue, noted that the truckers’ strike has struck a chord around the world. ![]() In the meantime, most of the haulage and transport companies that are owned and managed directly by members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) or people supported by it charge truck owners with high commissions.” Furthermore, roads in Iran are not safe, and many road patrols demand high bribes to let trucks pass. In an interview with Radio Farda’s Baktash Khamsehpour, a former member of the board of directors of the Union of Workers of Tehran and the Suburban Bus Company (UWTSBC) and labor rights activist Mansour Osanloo insist that truckers’ and cab drivers’ demands are reasonable and legitimate.Īccording to Osanloo, “Truckers’ demands, including higher wages, have been accumulated over the past few years, reaching an unbearable point, while their governmental subsidies have also been cut. However, truckers have rejected the officials’ promises as lip service and say they will continue the strike until all of their demands are met. “Haulage fees have already been increased up to 20 percent and the problem of truckers’ subsidies addressed, but meeting their other demands takes time,” Roads and Urban Development Ministry Deputy Abdol-Hashem Hassan Nia said on May 31. The city of Isfahan, in particular, has been the scene of clashes between local strikers and strikebreakers reportedly sent from other towns to help authorities end the protests. ![]() Truck drivers are also unhappy with being forced to install tracker devices on their vehicles and pay for related expenses, while “only security forces, intelligence agents, and the National Oil Company benefit from them.”įootage of striking truckers and taxi drivers resisting security forces, calling for unity, have been widely circulated on social media. The truckers are demanding a 35 to 50 percent increase for haulage charges, while the government has already accepted an increase of up to 20 percent. “We urge the government of Iran to listen to the grievances of the striking Iranian truck drivers, address their just demands and recognize their internationally recognized rights to assembly, speech, freedom of association and collective bargaining,” Hoffa wrote.Ĭab drivers in several cities across Iran have also joined voices with truckers protesting low wages, high costs of spare parts, and a significant increase in social welfare premiums. ![]() Hoffa also announced that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents 1.4 million transportation and supply chain workers in both the United States and Canada, “stands in solidarity with our Iranian brothers and sisters.” #Teamsters stand in #solidarity with our Iranian brother & sisters!” In a letter sent to Abolfazl Mehrabadi, deputy director of the Iranian interest section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C., Teamster General President James Hoffa noted, “Iranian truck drivers in 25 provinces and 160 cities have been on strike over low pay, rising operating costs, increased tolls and other regulatory fees. ![]()
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