Great interest for UID-DER’s Appeal! Solidarity with the Iranian Working Class is growing!

The petition campaign “Stop Repression of Iranian Working Class!” launched by the Association of International Workers’ Solidarity (UID-DER) is attracting great interest. Apart from workers, the campaign is supported by trade-union leaders and officials, intellectuals, artists, scholars, representatives of those parties and associations that are sympathetic to labour cause. They show their interest by putting their names in the petition.

We are telling workers, trade-unionists, intellectuals and artists about the repression of Iranian working class and the bans on union activity. Also we are telling that in Iran there is no right to getting unionised and strike in Iran, that the basic rights and freedoms are suppressed, that workers’ leaders such as Mansour Osanloo and Reza Shahabi were imprisoned, that some workers’ leaders were even hanged by the mullahs’ regime. We call on to develop international workers’ solidarity.

Our association, UID-DER, upholds international unity and solidarity of the working class, opposes the attacks targeting the established gains of the working class and also fights for achieving new rights. In our campaign against the attempt of abolishing the right to severance pay we came into contact with hundreds of thousands of toilers and collected nearly 60 thousand signatures. UID-DER’s bond with the working masses finds its expression in the context of international solidarity as well. Conducting the Turkish part of an international campaign launched by Japanese trade-unions for getting all nuclear power plants around the world shut down, UID-DER reached tens of thousands of people. In that campaign workers were told why nuclear power plants have to be shut down and capitalism was exposed. Our solidarity campaign to protest the repression and persecution of Iranian working class is also attracting great interest, and it is continuing. Apart from the trade-unionists, intellectuals, artists and workers listed below, we thank wholeheartedly all our brother/sister workers who joined the campaign with their signatures and expressed their solidarity with the Iranian working class.

Bayram YILMAZ: Association of International Workers’ Solidarity (UID-DER), Chairman

Ertuğrul KÜRKÇÜ: Member of Parliament, Peace and Democracy Party (BDP)

Levent TÜZEL: Member of Parliament, Democratic Congress of Peoples (HDK)

Atilay AYÇİN: Turkish Union of Civil Aviation Workers (Hava-İş), Chairman

Eyüp KAPLAN: Hava-İş, Treasurer

Gürel YILMAZ: Motor Vehicle Workers’ Union of Turkey (TÜMTİS), General Secretary

Seyfi EREZ: TÜMTİS, Treasurer

Celalettin CAN: 78’ers Initiative, Spokesperson

Selma GÜRKAN: Party of Labour (EMEP), Chairwoman

Nazım ALPMAN: Journalist-writer

Banu GÜVEN: Journalist

Feryal ÖNEY: Musician, Frontwoman of Kardeş Türküler (Songs of Fraternity) music band

Erkan ASLAN: Activist, Senior Chemical Engineer

Carol BRUCE: International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine, and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM), Officer for Gender Issues

Erol KIZILELMA: Foundation of Social Democracy (SODEV), Chairman

Onur HAMZAOĞLU: Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine, Head of the Department of Public Health

Özgür MÜFTÜOĞLU: Marmara University, Assistant professor doctor

Cem TERZİ: Prof. Dr., Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Medicine

İzge GÜNAY: Prof. Dr., Dokuz Eylül University, Faculty of Medicine

Cengiz ERÇİN: Prof Dr., Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine

Ümit BİÇER: Prof. Dr., Kocaeli University, Faculty of Medicine

Kuvvet LORDOĞLU: Prof Dr., Marmara University, Department of Labour Economics

Fatma GÖK: Prof. Dr., Boğaziçi University

Işın Ünal ÇEVİK: Prof. Dr., Ufuk University, Faculty of Medicine

Nesrin ALGAN: Prof. Dr., Ankara University, Faculty of Political Sciences

E. Yasemin ÖZDEK: Prof. Dr., Kocaeli University

Azad SAĞNIÇ: Party of Rights and Freedoms (Hak-Par), Deputy Chairman

Necla AKGÖKÇE: Turkish Union of Petrol and Chemistry Workers (Petrol-İş), Editor of Women Magazine

Hasan GÜLÜM: Turkish Union of Municipalities and General Services Workers (Belediye-İş), Chair of Branch 2

Binali TAY: Turkish Leather Workers’ Union (Deri-İş), Chair of Tuzla Branch

Mahmut ŞENGÜL: General Workers’ Union of Turkey (Genel-İş), Chair of Branch 1

Levent DİNÇER: Press, Media, Graphic Design and Packaging Industry Workers’ Union of Turkey (Basın-İş), Chair of İstanbul Branch

Ersin TÜRKMEN: TÜMTİS, Chair of Branch 1

Mustafa KARATAŞ: Turkish Union of Textile and Garment Industry Workers (Teksif), Chair of Kocaeli Branch

Bekir TANRIKULU: Turkish Union of Cellulose and Paper Workers (Selüloz-İş), Chair of Kocaeli Branch

Süleyman AKYÜZ: Petrol-İş, Chair of Gebze Branch

Mehmet BOĞA: Union of Glass, Cement, Ceramic and Earth Industry Workers (Kristal-İş), Chair of Gebze Branch

Osman AYSAN: Turkish Union of Petrol, Chemistry and Tire Industry Workers (Lastik-İş), Chair of Gebze Branch

Necmettin AYDIN: Union of United Metal Workers (BMİS), Chair of Gebze Branch

Hüseyin ÖVER: Turkish Union of Military Industry Workers (Harb-İş), Chair of İstanbul Anatolian Side Branch

Rabia Özkaraca ÖVER: Turkish Union of Commerce, Cooperatives and Bureau Workers (Tez-Koop-İş), Chair of Branch 5

Erdal ŞAHİN: Tez-Koop-İş, Chair of Branch 1

Vedat KÜÇÜK: Genel-İş, Chair of Kocaeli Branch

Erdal KOPAL: Revolutionary Road Transport Workers Union of Turkey (Nakliyat-İş), Chair of Gebze Branch

Nimet TANRIKULU: Activist, Women’s Initiative for Peace

Alev ŞAHİN: Socialist Democracy Party (SDP), Member of Executive Committee of İstanbul Branch

İlke ACAR: Toiler Movement Party (EHP), Chair of İstanbul Branch

Murat DENİZKURDU: Banking Workers’ Union (Bank-Sen), General Secretary

İbrahim DUMAN: Association of Kürecik Townsmen, Deputy Chairman

Erol KAMBEROĞLU: Genel-İş, Member of Branch Executive Committee

Devrim DUMAN: TÜMTİS, Union expert

F. İlhami ŞAHİN: DİSK Pensioners’ Union (Emekli-Sen), Chair of İstanbul Kartal Branch

Ali ÖZYURT: Doctor

Özlem ÖZKAN: Kocaeli University, Associate Professor

Abdurrahman SAYGILI: Assistant Professor doctor, Ankara University, Faculty of Law

Örgen UĞURLU: Assistant Professor doctor, Kocaeli University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences

Ersin KARAGÖZ: Doctor

Çiğdem ÇAĞLAYAN: Assistant Professor doctor, Kocaeli University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health

Mehmet TÜRKAN: Scholar, Kocaeli University

Arzu ERKAN: Journalist, Hayat Tv, Kocaeli Agent

Rıfat AKÇABOL: Retired Scholar

Zümrüt SEVİNÇ: Psychologist

Emel YUVAYAPAN: Research Assistant

Kağan GÜNAL: Doctor, Private Konak Hospital

Eren KORKMAZ: Deri-İş, Organising Officer

Selda ÖZTÜRK: Musician, Kardeş Türküler (Songs of Fraternity) music band

Muharrem ŞAHİN: Steel Workers Union (Çelik-İş), Chair of Branch 2

Erdal KARAKUŞ: All Municipality Workers’ Union (Tüm Bel-Sen), Chair of Kocaeli Branch

Engin ÇELİK: Deri-İş, Organising Officer

Hüseyin AKYOL: Tüm Bel-Sen, Member of Kocaeli Branch Executive Committee

Güzide SAATÇİ: Tüm Bel-Sen, Member of Kocaeli Branch Executive Committee

Ethem KARTAL: Road, Construction, Infrastructure Public Employees Union (Yapı Yol Sen), Member of Kocaeli Branch Executive Committee

Aykut ÇELİK: Turkish Medical Association, Member of Executive Committee

Reşit YÜKSEL: Food Workers’ Union (Tek Gıda-İş), Anadolu Branch Secretary

Meral ÇILDIR: Lawyer, Human Rights Association (İHD)

Bülent TOK: Steel Workers Union (Çelik-İş), Regional Officer, Kocaeli

Fahrettin ERDOĞAN: Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions (DİSK), Press Office Director

Şükriye TÜRKEL: Association in Support of Contemporary Living (ÇYDD), Member of Executive Committee

Mehmet ALÇINKAYA: Peace and Democracy Party (BDP)

Osman BAHÇECİ: Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), Member of Executive Committee of Kocaeli Branch

Mehmet AYDOĞAN: Education and Science Workers’ Union (Eğitim-Sen), Chair of İstanbul Branch 5

Meryem ASIL: Lawyer, Progressive Lawyers’ Association (ÇHD)

Yusuf CEYLAN: Genel-İş, Member of Branch Executive Committee

Tuncer ARIN: Genel-İş, Member of Executive Committee of Branch 1

Demet YILDIRIM: DİSK, Secretary of Chairman

Ümüş GÜREĞİ: DİSK Treasury Executive

Barış ATAÇ: Engineer, Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB)

Murat GÜNDÜZAY: Engineer, TMMOB

Elvan DEMİRCİOĞLU: Tez-Koop-İş, Member of Executive Committee of Branch 5

Aziz KAMAALP: Tez-Koop-İş, Member of Executive Committee of Branch 5

Emin KÜLEKÇİ: Engineer, TMMOB

Zülfü ÖRNEK: Engineer, TMMOB

Yunus Emre ZENGİN: Engineer, TMMOB

Aysel Demirci ŞAHİN: Engineer, TMMOB

Özkan TORAMAN: Engineer, Chamber of Electrical Engineers, Gebze Branch

Fırat GÜNEŞ: Çelik-İş, Gebze Branch Secretary

Eyüp AKDEMİR: Petrol-İş, Gebze Branch Secretary

Orhanettin YILDIZ: Petrol-İş, Gebze Branch Treasurer

Erhan GÜDEK: Kristal-İş, Member of Executive Committee of Gebze Branch

Orhan KOÇ: Kristal-İş, Gebze Branch Secretary

Doğan KAYA: Çelik-İş, Organising Officer

Fahrettin İMAR: Çelik-İş, Union expert

Ali Asker KIZIL:  Tek Gıda-İş, Chief Union Representative on the shop floor in Kraft co.

Eylem ENÜL: Hava-İş, Union expert

Ayhan ARMAĞAN: Petrol-İş, Deputy Chairman of Branch 2

Ali YURTER: Tez-Koop-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Haydar DUYAR: Tez-Koop-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Şevki ASLAN: Tez-Koop-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Selvi DÖNMEZ: Belediye-İş, Workers’ deputy in Branch 2

Seyfullah KESİNOĞLU: Tek Gıda-İş, Chief Union Representative on the shop floor

İsmail KADI: Reporter, local newspaper Gebze Haber

Tülay TUŞ: Petrol-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Sebahattin GÜRBÜZ: Petrol-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Şivan KIRMIZIÇİÇEK: Petrol-İş, Chief Union Representative on the shop floor

Rıfat GULİ: Petrol-İş, Chief Union Representative on the shop floor

Muhammet ALTUNTERİM: Petrol-İş, Chief Union Representative on the shop floor

Emrah DAŞDEMİR: Petrol-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Mustafa TOKUL: Petrol-İş, Chief Union Representative on the shop floor

İbrahim KARATAŞ: Petrol-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Ufuk ASKER: Petrol-İş, Member of Executive Committee of Gebze Branch

Murat ÇETİNKAYA: Petrol-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor

Ahmet ÇELİK: Çelik-İş, Chief Union Representative on the shop floor

Savaş ÖZKAN: Genel-İş, Union Representative on the shop floor