May Day 2009: Last-minute appeals from Turkey, Iran

[Omaha Steve]

I'd like to wish all of you a very happy May Day holiday.

But before you celebrate, please take a moment to help ensure that our fellow trade unionists in Turkey and Iran are allowed to celebrate too.

This year we've been asked by Turkish unions to send a strong message to their government demanding that they be allowed to peacefully celebrate the international workers' holiday in Istanbul's Taksim Square. On May Day 1977, 37 trade unionists were killed there and efforts by unions in recent years to commemorate that massacre - and to demand justice - have been met by fierce repression.

We have only two days to get our messages to the Turkish authorities, so please click here (http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=511) and send your message now -- and spread the word quickly to other members of your union.

Meanwhile, international unions have issue an alert (http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/dbman/db.cgi?db=default&uid=default&ID=5866&view_records=1&ww=1&en=1) regarding Iran, where union activists continue to face severe repression. They are demanding that the government allow workers to peacefully celebrate this year. You can sign up to that appeal here: http://www.iuf.org/cgi-bin/campaigns/show_campaign.cgi?c=402

Thanks very much.

Eric Lee

[dcsmart]

1. Happy Workers Memorial Day

i hope you liked my earlier post about it. looking forward to May Day...sending the message.

SOLIDARITY