Six of Denmark’s leading labor unions and federations have issued a strong joint statement expressing unwavering support for Iranian workers and condemning decades of labor rights abuses under both the Shah’s rule and the current clerical regime in Iran.
The declaration—endorsed by major unions such as the United Federation of Danish Workers (3F) and the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (FH)—denounces the Iranian government’s ongoing violations of International Labour Organization (ILO) standards, despite being a signatory. “For 45 years, Iran’s minimum wage policies have failed to reflect the country’s runaway inflation,” the statement asserted.
The Danish unions highlighted numerous issues Iranian workers face:
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94% of Iranian workers are employed on temporary contracts, lacking job security.
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95% have no access to their own employment contracts, exposing them to arbitrary dismissal and denying them basic benefits such as health and retirement insurance.
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Independent unions are outlawed, replaced by government-controlled labor councils.
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Workplace safety is severely compromised, with approximately 40 workers dying each week—particularly in mining and construction—due to inadequate safety standards.
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Gender discrimination remains rampant, with hundreds of thousands of women forced out of the workforce in recent years.
The signatories of the statement include:
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(3F) (Fagligt Fælles Forbund) – Denmark’s largest union, representing 265,000 workers
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Dansk Metal – Representing over 142,000 metal industry workers
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NNF – Union for food industry employees, with about 20,000 members
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Danske Malernes Fagforening – National painters’ union
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3F Transport – Representing more than 48,500 transport and logistics workers
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FH (Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation) – Denmark’s national trade union confederation, representing 1.3 million workers
The unions urged the International Labour Organization to place Iran on its blacklist for repeated and systemic violations. They called on the global community to apply pressure to secure basic labor rights in Iran, including fair wages, the right to unionize, and safe working conditions.
The statement closes with a powerful message of global unity:
“Iranian workers—repressed under both monarchy and theocracy—need international solidarity now more than ever.”