12 Railway Street Lidcombe

Postal Address: LOCKED BAG 1, LIDCOMBE NSW 1825

9 November 2009

Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei

The Office of the Supreme Leader

Islamic Republic Street

Shahid Keshvar Doust Street

Tehran, Iran

President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

The Presidency,

Palestine Avenue, Azerbaijan Intersection,

Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Fax: 0011 98 21 649 58 80

Office of the Head of the Judiciary

Pasteur St. Vali Asr Ave.,

south of Serah-e Jomhouri,

Tehran, Iran

Iran

The Islamic Republic of Iran to Australia.

URGENT REQUEST

I write on behalf of the Construction Forestry Mining & Energy Union in Australia. This trade union represents

over 28,000 construction workers in the construction sector in New South Wales, Australia. The Branch takes

an active interest in all matters to do with human and trade union rights across the world.

We wish to express our deep and serious concerns regarding your country’s drive to destroy the independent

union at the giant Haft Tapeh plantation/refining sugar complex in southern Iran. We understand a court on

October 12 sentenced six union leaders to prison on charges of "endangering national security." Their only

crime was to lead a strike. Haft Tapeh workers have repeatedly had to resort to strikes and other actions to

claim huge wage arrears and protest deteriorating working conditions.

As workers’ representatives and internationalists we demand the immediate release of these six persons

without any further fear, prejudice or violation against them. We also demand the immediate restoration of

human and trade union rights to all workers in Iran.

Yours faithfully

PETER MCCLELLAND

State President