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[2009-04-23] Iran: Teachers strike for the implementation of Pay Parity Law

Despite formal promises by the authorities, Iranian teachers are getting frustrated that the Pay Parity Law passed in 2007 has still not been implemented. As a result, the teacher movement there is calling for industrial action from 26-28 Apr.

EI's Save Farzad campaign received more than 6500 messages since its launch last August, thanks to the support of teachers, unionists, students and parents worldwide.

Passed by the parliament in 2007, the Pay Parity Law guarantees better pay and working conditions for Iranian teachers. However, its implementation is still being delayed despite a promise made by president Ahmadinejad to have it implemented by 22 March this year.

Teachers in Iran are currently facing problems in making ends meet, exacerbated by declining working conditions and delays in the payment of wages and pensions. They have no choice but to undertake the following actions:

26 Apr: Teachers will attend schools and classes, but they will not teach but use the time to inform students about their protest.

27 Apr: Teachers will be in school but will not conduct classes.

28 Apr: The day will be considered as the "National Day of Protest by Teachers" and teachers will not go to school at all.

In recent years, teachers have suffered harassment, repression and imprisonment for having taken to the streets. Even simple union gatherings have been repressed.

Between September and December last year, meetings convened by the Iranian Teacher Trade Association (ITTA) were consistently dispersed by the police. Teacher representatives were also held and interrogated.

EI supports the teachers' claims and insists that the Iranian authorities should respect the freedom of association guaranteed under Convention 87 of the International Labour Organisation.

As long as the Iranian authorities maintain the ban on the ITTA, imprison trade unionists such as Mansour Osanloo, Farzad Kamangar and others, and as long as the harassment of teachers who participate in union meetings continues, EI and the global trade union movement will continue to advocate for the full respect of trade union rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.