The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) has sent a letter to Iranian President Seyed Mohammed Khatami, condemning the killings of workers in the Iranian village of Khatounabad and the city of Shahr-e Babak on Saturday 24 January 2004, IRNA reported from Brussels, Belgium.

Four people died and over 40 workers were injured when violence broke out at an 8-day sit-in at a plant in the Kerman province of the country, said the Brussels-based union in a statement Wednesday.

The ICFTU said it continues to collect and verify information on the events of 24 January, collated from a range sources including news agencies, the national trade union organisation, members of parliament and security forces within Iran, and organisations outside the country.

The ICFTU is urging the Iranian authorities to identify and prosecute the perpetrators of these killings.

It also called for the Iranian government to open an independent and impartial investigation into the incident.

"As a member of the UN's International Labour Organisation (ILO), the government of Iran must respect its obligation to honour the fundamental right of workers' freedom of association," it said.

The ICFTU represents over 151 million workers in 233 affiliated organisations in 152 countries and territories.