CODIR at the NEU International Solidarity Conference

On Saturday 2 July, Jamshid Ahmadi, CODIR’s Assistant General Secretary, and Liz Payne of CODIR’s National Executive Council, represented the organisation at the NEU’s International Solidarity Conference in London.

The two speakers provided conference delegates with an update on the intensifying struggle of teachers in Iran for their right to organise, assemble peacefully and voice their legitimate demands without being subjected to brutal suppression, arrest and imprisonment by the Iranian regime. They went on to outline the key demands of the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations (CCITTAs), including its call for a free, high-quality education system open to all children and young people.

Mr Ahmadi and Dr Payne then facilitated discussions on ways in which the NEU and its members could support and express international solidarity with the Iranian teachers’ struggle, including within the NEU and via the TUC, Education International and the ITUC.

The CODIR representatives ran two workshops for delegates who attended the one-day conference from across UK. Dr Liz Payne, in opening each of the two workshops entitled ” Supporting the Struggle of Iranian Educators” briefed the delegates about the work of CODIR and how during the past two decades its campaigns have been focussed on the issues of concern for educators in Iran and also raised the plight of teacher trade unionists who have been imprisoned for engaging in campaigns in defence of their colleagues. CODIR’s Assistant General Secretary spoke to delegates about the campaign for human and democratic rights in Iran and paid tribute to the nationwide campaign CCITTAs have waged to involve the public in their 3-pronged campaign – for their right to organise and be represented by their independent trade unions, for the development of a free and quality education in the country and for the release of all imprisoned teacher trade union activists who have not committed any wrongful act other than defending their rights under the constitution and the Universal Convention on Human Rights.