Statement
Washington, DC; June 1, 2018 – Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC-US) supports truck drivers protesting injustice, low wages and systemic oppression in Iran. OIAC additionally applauds U.S. Teamsters union and The International Transport Workers’ Federation, (ITF) for their statements of solidarity with the truck drivers in Iran.
Iranian Truck drivers are protesting against wages cuts, discrimination, higher insurance costs, systemic corruption, and regime’s use of extortion to rob drivers of both income and benefits. The strike initially affected Zanjan, Qazvin, Lorestan, East Azerbaijan and Mazandaran provinces but has now spread to all Iranian provinces and more than 250 cities.
Leader of Iran’s main opposition, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi last week called for expressions of solidarity with the striking drivers. In a statement this week, ITF, which represents 20 million transport workers Worldwide, expressed “full solidarity” with protesters. The statement said that protesting driver’s “action has been strongly supported by the ITF’s road transport affiliate the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, also known as the Vahed Syndicate.” Additionally, the Teamsters, one of the largest labor unions in the United States and the world, expressed solidarity with truckers striking against Iranian regime.
Also this week, Iranian American Community members of Virginia and Maryland involved in the U.S. trucking industry, expressed their support for protesting drivers in Iran.
OIAC calls on all labor unions, humanitarian organizations, and governments to denounce regime’s treatment of hard working but oppressed drivers in Iran and support measures to compel the clerical regime to meet the driver’s just demands.
