May Day in Iran!
Workers’ Struggles and Demands!
Threats of War!
The First of May, the International Workers’ Day, is once again fast approaching. In Iran, like the rest of the world, the working class has been fighting back against the repressive governments, employers and the ruling capitalist classes under enormously hostile conditions. Workers in Iran do not have the right to organize and strike and frequently face persecution, arrests and imprisonment –the killing of workers in Khatonabad in January 2004 and the arrests and prosecution of labour activists for organizing May Day in Saqez, the ongoing harassments and arrests of activist workers across the country and the arrests of over one thousand bus workers in Tehran on January 28, 2006 and the brutal onslaught against the first independent workers’ organization in more than 20 years, the Syndicate of the Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company, are just some of the most known examples of the anti-workers policies and practices of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Despite all this, workers are vigorously mobilizing to stand up for their rights and freedoms. We have had over one thousand strikes, walk outs and workplace actions in the past twelve months in Iran. In addition, a number of progressive independent committees for the formation of free labour organizations have been formed across the country.
In this May Day, workers in various parts of Iran are pushing for numerous demands, including the following:
- The immediate and unconditional release of all arrested workers including the president of the Syndicate of the Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company, Mr. Mansour Osanloo, who has been imprisoned since December 2005.
- The recognition of the Syndicate of Tehran Bus Workers as the genuine representative of transport workers in Tehran and the immediate reinstatement of over 200 union members who were sacked following their January 28th strike.
- The unconditional recognition of the right to organize freely, the right to collective bargaining and the right to strike for all workers in Iran.
- The immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all charges against the Saqez labour activists.
- The immediate payment of all unpaid wages to hundreds of thousands of workers across the country, who have not received their wages or benefits from 3 to over 24 months.
- The annulment of the legislation that exempted companies employing five workers or less from having to respect even the most basic labour rights, which affected over three million workers. Furthermore, the cancellation of the legislations that allow ever-increasing hiring of temporary workers while exempting these workers from the scopes of the labour law.
- The removal of the government-sponsored Workers House and the Islamic Labour Councils from all workplaces since they are agents of the employers and the government and have no legitimacy amongst workers. Furthermore, the Workers' House and Islamic Labour Councils must be disallowed from attending any international bodies such as the ILO.
- An Unconditional end to any forms of systemic violations of freedom of expression, association and other internationally recognized human rights and freedoms for working class and all people in Iran.
- Immediate end to all systemic discriminations against women in the workplace, employment, wages, legislations and in society at large. Due to systemic barriers, currently less than 15 percent of women are actively participating in the labour force.
- Wage increase according to actual rate of inflation. The current minimum wage is at least 50 percent below the poverty line. Approximately 65 percent of the Iranian labour force receives wages below the official poverty line.
- Establishment, implementation and enforcement of sufficient unemployment insurance benefits, pension benefits and other essential income security programs for all workers (employed, unemployed, immigrants, injured, disabled, young and retired). Presently despite 5 millions unemployed (10 millions if discouraged women and youth were counted) and millions of others who are underemployed, only a very small percentage is receiving the Unemployment Insurance benefits.
The unbearable condition of workers in Iran is a part of the contemporary global onslaughts by capitalists and their governments on workers’ international rights and achievements. Workers and their organizations worldwide have no other choice but to confront the corporate globalization with more concerted and internationally coordinated efforts, especially now that the world is witnessing ever-increasing militarization and the aggressive implementation of the neo-liberal agenda of privatizations, lay offs, contracting out, outsourcing, deregulations, and non-payment of wages, and the like.
About the threats of war against Iran
The US Administration’s drive to wage war and military aggressions against countries like Iraq or Iran, beside their economic and political interests, has been a pretext for attacks on labour, civil, immigrant, and human rights in the US and other parts of the world. It has brought absolute disaster for the Iraqi people. What is taking place presently, between the US and its European allies and the Iranian government, has no progressive or legitimate sides. A working class perspective does not take sides in such a reactionary dispute. The United States government, which in collaboration with businesses and industries has for years stripped workers of so many of their rights and protections, as the most dangerous nuclear and military power and the only government ever used the atomic bomb against people, has no credibility whatsoever on this issue; similarly, the Iranian government, which has killed or imprisoned hundreds of thousands of labour activists, socialists, human rights activists, students and intellectuals and sent millions to exile has absolutely no legitimacy to represent the Iranian populations, particularly the working class, women and the ever-growing poor people in the country. A progressive position not only proactively opposes any attempts to pursue war or economic sanctions against Iran, it ought, at the same time, support the workers’ struggles against the repressive government and capitalists in Iran who are forcefully implementing the most aggressive anti-worker and neo-liberal policies in the country’s contemporary history.
Long Live Workers’ International Solidarity!
International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran
April 24, 2006