Like many other sectors of Iranian society, labour unions participated in the 1979 Revolution that eventually led to the Shah’s exile and the inception of the ruling theocracy.

Contrary to many of the political aspirations held by the Syndicate during the height of the revolutionary period, the union was placed in an evermore dire position by being banned from all activity.

Worker disdain led to rumblings of strike action and revolt, but such thoughts were quelled by reactionary security forces organized by the company and the government itself.

An internal constitution was ratified by union executives on June 3, essentially cementing the efficacious role this organization would play in future disputes.

Fighting against unpaid wages, hazardous working conditions, and the restriction of collective bargaining procedures (amongst others), placed the union in a morally superior position amongst workers.

In a show of solidarity, bus operators left the lights on to their vehicles throughout their shifts in protesting the September 7 arrests of colleagues and union leaders.

They included: Ebrahim Madadi, Mansour Hayat Ghaybi, Seyed Davoud Razavi, Sa’id Torabian, Ali Zad Hossein, Naser Gholami[4] [5] and Gholamreza Mirza’i.

According to eyewitness accounts, Mansour Osanlou was arrested on Sunday, November 19, 2006, along with the vice-president of SWTSBC, Ibrahim Madadi under very suspicious circumstances.

Shahabi has been imprisoned since June 2010 in Evan prison and in 2012 was sentenced to six years imprisonment by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Tehran for “gathering and colluding against state security”, and “spreading propaganda against the system.”[9] According to the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and other rights groups Shahabi’s state of health has deteriorated in custody, but prison authorities have not granted him appropriate medical treatment.