Ei-iE

Resolution on solidarity with Iran teacher unionists

published 25 July 2015 updated 11 June 2018

Recognition from 7th Education International World Congress meeting.

The 7th Education International (EI) World Congress meeting in Ottawa, Canada, from 21nd to 26th July 2015:

Recognizing that:

1. Human and trade union rights of workers and all people in Iran should be respected;

2. The Coordinating Council of the Iranian Teachers Trade Associations (CCITTA) is the EI’s affiliated organizations, and Mr. Mohammad Khaksari, the coordinator of the international Committee of the CCITTAs, is the communicators of the CCITTAs with EI;

3. Strong, free and democratic unions and social dialogue are essential to peace, rule of law, democracy and progress, EI considers that its affiliate (CCITTA) contributes to building civil society in Iran and strengthening quality education for all irrespective of gender, ethnic and social background or religion;

4. Despite many obstacles, teachers in Iran have succeeded to maintain union activism. Trade unionists are being targeted for their activism, and some have already spent years in unjustified detention;

5. EI works within the international labour movement to support education unions worldwide;

Mandates EI to:

6. Praise the courage of CCITTA leaders and activists to pursue their rights even though they are often persecuted through the state’s harassment, unequal professional treatment, torture, unlawful imprisonment, and even execution;

7. Continue to support, through capacity building and advocacy, the efforts of Iranian teachers and other workers to practice their internationally recognized their rights within independent, non-political, non-sectarian and democratic education trade union;

8. Advocate for the Government of Iran to end impunity and bring about justice by respecting internationally recognized rights standards, including the labour conventions guaranteeing freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, peaceful assembly, and education-related recommendations and agreements;

9. Request that the Government of Iran guarantees the rights of all education workers and unionists and promote quality public education for all;

10. Condemns any acts of intimidation targeting teachers and unionists of both gender;

11. Campaign for the release of teacher trade unionists unfairly imprisoned, such as Esmael Abdi, Ali Akbar Baghani, Mahmoud Bagheri, Rasoul Bodaghi, Alireza Ghanbari and Alireza Hashemi; and

12. Convene an international mission to Iran.