JAILED IRANIAN BUS WORKERS’ LEADER FREED

M embers of the RMT London Taxi branch demonstrated recently outside the offices of Transport for London, the authority that licenses both taxis and private hire, to highlight to members of the public the lack of regard that the authorities have in respect of sexual crimes against women travelling alone at night. The issue is part of a broader problem of lack of control by the police and the licensing regime in keeping control of the monster created by the Greater London Act which allowed for private hire vehicles (PHV) to be licensed in London for the first time. PHV operators can place agents in night clubs and other venues taking bookings within an establishment, creaming off the lucrative late night work to unscrupulous PHV drivers who positioned themselves on legitimate taxi ranks. RMT taxi branch secretary Stan Murat said that this prevented taxi drivers from obtaining their own legitimate work. “These licensed venues became known as satellite offices and have been the thorn in the side of the taxi trade. “The problem will not go away and statistics show that there has been a substantial increase in the number of sexual assaults against women by PHV drivers or those who purport to be licensed,” he said. RMT helpline 0800 376 3706 :: june 2011 :: RMTnews 29 R MT member Tracey Steel recently had the honour of being presented with an outstanding achievement award from the City of Sunderland College for her commitment to her studies. Tracey is a newly appointed health and safety rep for Grand Central Rail who had recently attended a TUC health and safety rep stage one course. Her award is a tremendous achieve- ment as Tracey was selected from among 900 students. I mprisoned trade unionist Mansour Osanloo has been freed from jail in Iran almost four years since his arrest and imprisonment, which set off a storm of international protest. The International Transport Workers’ Federation had led demands for his release. Mansour Osanloo is president and founding member of the Vahed Syndicate, a free trade union representing Tehran's bus workers. From its beginnings in 2005 the ITF- affiliated union was subjected to heavy repression, including repeated attacks and arrests. Mansour was heavily targeted, attacked and imprisoned in 2005 and 2006. Then in 2007, just one month after visiting the London head office of the ITF, he was arrested and sentenced to five years imprisonment on charges of ‘acting against national security’ and ‘propaganda against the state’. In 2010 another year was added to his sentence. His release is conditional on his ‘good behaviour’ and the payment of a bond. ITF general secretary David Cockcroft said that Mansour was free because trade unionists worldwide had demanded justice. ITF president Paddy Crumlin said that Mansour Osanloo's release from jail in Tehran is a victory for human rights and testament to the determined campaign by trade unions and human rights activists around the world. “Mansour Osanloo has suffered immeasurably while imprisoned, simply for doing something many of us take for granted - joining his trade union. “While the news from Iran is welcome, the campaign to free Mansour's Vahed comrades, Reza Shahabi and Ebrahim Madadi continues,” he said. LONDON CABBIES DEMAND ACTION UNION LEARNER OF THE YEAR JAILED IRANIAN BUS WORKERS’ LEADER FREED