The Free Union of Iranian Workers (FUIW)
The Free Union of Iranian Workers (FUIW) was initially formed in December 2006 as the National Union of Expelled and Unemployed Workers but changed its name in April 2008. Since the establishment of the union, its members have consistently been harassed and persecuted by Iranian authorities.
The FUIW advocates for workers’ rights, focusing in particular on the issue of wages. In 2012, the union launched a petition for increased wages which was signed by 30,000 workers and submitted to the parliament. The FUIW is not officially recognised by the Iranian Ministry of Labour which makes its peaceful labour rights work particularly difficult.
Hope for political reform in Iran surfaced when President Hassan Rouhani assumed office in 2013 and dozens of opposition political figures and human rights defenders were released. However, violations of the rights to freedom of expression, association, peaceful assembly and movement of HRDs continue to be prevalent.
