Six of Denmark’s most prominent labor unions and federations have jointly issued a powerful statement of solidarity with Iranian workers, condemning systematic labor rights violations under both the former monarchy and the current clerical regime in Iran.
The statement, signed by organizations including the United Federation of Danish Workers (3F) and the Danish Confederation of Trade Unions (FH), decries the Iranian regime’s failure to uphold International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, despite being a signatory. “Over the past 45 years, minimum wage policies in Iran have had no correlation with the country’s soaring inflation,” the statement read.
The Danish labor bodies listed a series of grievances faced by Iranian workers:
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94% of Iranian workers are on temporary contracts without job security.
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95% do not possess copies of their contracts, leaving them vulnerable to sudden termination and denied basic benefits like health and retirement insurance.
#Italian Trade Union with 2 Million Members Declares Solidarity with #Iranian Workers’ Strugglehttps://t.co/V3w6grRRgz
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) May 1, 2025
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Independent unions are banned, with only state-controlled labor councils allowed to operate.
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Workplace safety is dire, with some 40 worker deaths reported weekly, particularly in the mining and construction sectors, due to a lack of safety measures.
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Gender discrimination is widespread, with hundreds of thousands of women having lost their jobs in recent years.
Among the signatories were:
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Fagligt Fælles Forbund (3F) – Denmark’s largest labor federation, representing 265,000 workers.
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Dansk Metal – Danish Metalworkers’ Union, with over 142,000 members.
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NNF – Union for food industry workers, representing around 20,000.
#Australian Unions and Civil Society Groups Back Iranian Workers on #InternationalWorkersDay https://t.co/e5lSmO0XXQ
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 30, 2025
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Danske Malernes Fagforening – The national painters’ union.
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3F Transport – Representing over 48,500 logistics and transport workers.
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FH (Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation) – Denmark’s national trade union confederation, representing over 1.3 million workers.
Calling on the ILO to blacklist the clerical regime in Iran for systemic violations, the unions urged global pressure to enforce basic labor rights in Iran, including fair wages, union representation, and safe working conditions. The statement concludes with a call for international solidarity: “Iranian workers—long oppressed under monarchy and theocracy—need global support now more than ever.”