No. 15 nhkommittehamahangi@gmail.com 15 May 2016
The May 1st, 2016 resolution by independent labor groups in Iran
We the undersigned syndicates and the labor organizations, declare our views and demands in the following:
- While the poverty line in Iran is around $1000, the minimum wage of roughly $250 assigned by the “supreme council of labor”, only brings more affliction on workers and their families. We condemn the Council’s decision regarding the level of minimum wage. It has been for many years protector of the interests of owners of capital and employers. We the workers believe that only the real representatives of independent labor organizations with the backing of working masses can determine just wages. continued in P. 5
May the First 2016 in Iran- Reporting:
IN Iran working class, independent unions and organization are banned from any kind of May Day activities. Only the yellow pro Governments unions with full support of ruling capitalist class can
Officially celebrate the Labor Day. So 2016 May Day we see two completely different ceremonies. Left, independent workers organizations months before undercover and secretly planned to come out on the day. All organizations weeks before, issued manifesto, indicating the actual struggle of workers of Iran, opposing the so called Islamic labor organization, and demanding a non-interference of security forces in May the First demonstrations continued in P. 7
THE ONGOING STRUGGLE WHICH HAS REACHED THE DEPTHS OF SOCIETY, CANNOT BE DESTROYED ANY MORE!
We must be united side by side and organized against oppression and exploitation
April 29, 2016.
Capitalism, has driven the world more than ever to the sinkhole of perpetual poverty; unemployment, hunger, war, dispersion and environmental destruction. To rescue and save this system from its intrinsic crisis, the existence and livelihood of the workers and toilers have become disastrous.
Under the present situation, the “economic solution”, proposed by the capitalist class and the capitalist state is: even more intensive exploitation of labor and oppression against them, for gaining surplus value produced by the workers and throwing the burden of crisis on their shoulders, take back the social-economic achievements of the working class, shutting down the number of corporations and institutions, which they do not think their perfectibility is “enough”, continued in P. 2
Be auspicious – May Day and Teacher’s Day in Iran
The first of May, May Day, commemorates 130 years of struggle for a better and human life. May Day in Chicago, in 1886, was caused in protest for long work hours, and unfortunately, the capitalist police opened fire on the protesting workers, arrested their leaders on the charge of disturbing public order, and after a sham trial, executed 5 of them. Continued in P. 9
THE ONGOING STRUGGLE …
and amplifying the pool of the unemployed, so that the basis for resumption of activities be prepared, for the giant corporations which are able to survive. The biggest capitalist powers persistently try to impose this model on all countries.
The “political solution” of the capitalist classes and capitalist states, is the persistent effort to consolidate and continue their political domination, to make workers and other toilers obey and suppress or divert their movements. The capitalist class and capitalist states, exercise the same exact policy, internationally.
Military aggression, suppression of liberation and independence movements and by using political and economic lever, the biggest capitalist powers, imposes their reactionary policies against the working class and the most impoverishes people. Also, supporting the reactionary governments of backward countries and criminal gangs, creating blocks in favor of this or that power. Furthermore, they are imposing their will on the world through corporate run international institutions. Another manifestation of the brutality of capitalism, is the intensification of the political influence of the fascist and racist parties, which for the capture of political power in capitalist countries, or at least, the implementation of their programs, have increased their efforts by other parties.
Iran’s capitalist system, in the field of economics and politics, applies the same pattern as mentioned above, with the exception that, because of Iran’s special conditions, both on the economic and political front, oppression and violence against the Iranian workers, are much more severe and intense than the oppression against the workers in advanced capitalist countries.
Evidence of this fact: The minimum wage for the Iranian workers in 2016 (based on Iranian calendar, starting on March 19, 2016) has been designated to be $232.00 per month, which is less than a third of the poverty line and less than a quarter of an average four-member family’s living expenses in a city
This has been decided, by the Supreme Labor Council, last month. With the ink on the letter of the General Court’s judicial district of Port of Imam, still not dry, yet, they were warning, if necessary, the slaughter of Khatoonabad’s workers will be repeated. “From this date on, any unlawful assembly and disturbance against the order of the corporations will be treated very harshly again for other workers”. In fact, the brutal shooting of unemployed workers and young jobseekers of the village of Shahrouye/Behbahan, in the province of Khuzestan and the violent killing of “Morteza Faraj Nia” in December 20015, by the security forces, showed that the slaughter of jobless workers, is a clear sign of the weakness of the reactionary anti worker ruling regime, in response to the misery and joblessness of all poverty stricken workers.
The presence of the hundreds of the workers and the labor activists, and political prisoners in Iranian’s detention centers, which their only “guilt” is, the desire to live like human beings, all represents a small portion of the oppression and the exploitation, which is being exercised upon the Iranian working class.
However, precisely because of such a situation, the working class can and must change the status quo! To do so, we must only rely on inexhaustible force of the working class and other toiling masses; and under any circumstances, must not trust economic and political management of the ruling capitalists, and also be aware of the varieties of capitalist ideologues.
The working class, must enter the struggle, by its own independent policy and with its own independent organizations (the need to create an independent worker syndicate and an independent political party of the working class), especially, in the arena of economic and political struggle. Should the working class not enter into its independent political struggle, there would not be any hope for change and transformation. The working class must have a clear perspective of the social transformation and deep awareness of its goals and a firm determination for their realizations. This awareness and vision and the path toward its achievements must reach out to the broad masses.
The workers with such views and in solidarity with their struggles, not only are able to change the situation to their advantage, but are also able to create the basis for a society free of oppression and exploitation around the world.
We demand the common struggle and cooperation with all forces fighting for the emancipation of the working class. We believe and respect the principle of the International solidarity of workers of all countries and we will try to accomplish this great task. We believe, that our joint struggles for our demands, listed below, which the vast majority of them have been proposed from the most vanguard, activist workers and the political organizations, in supporting the working class and must be transformed to the pivots, for extensive cooperation of the worker’s organizations.
Struggle for immediate social-economic demands of the working class:
- The recognition of the right to organize an independent labor (independent of the government and all the state institutions, employers, political parties and the religious institutions) in all fields of economic activities, social, administrative, cultural and so on.
- The right to participate and the involvement of the independent workers’ organization in legislation.
- Recognition of the right to conclude collective labor agreements between workers and the employers.
- Establishment of the worker’s inspection, consisting of elected representative of the workers with law and sufficient authority for supervising the working conditions in all institutions that wage laborer is producing.
- Establishment of maximum of 40 hours and two consecutive days of rest per week, and at least one month off per year with full pay and benefits for wage workers.
- Designation of the minimum wage, on the basis of the average living expenses of urban households (according to household budget’s statistic) and its increase with respect to inflation and social productivity of the work, with the verification of the elected representative of the workers.
- Therefore, on the same basis, insist on a minimum wage of $1,000.00 per month for the year 2016 (which starts on March 19, 2016, Iranian calendar).
- Unconditional release, of all the imprisoned workers and teachers and all the political and the prisoners of conscience.
- Prohibition of the child labor, and adolescents less than 16 years of age, and restricting the labor hours for 16 to 18 years of age to maximum of 4 hours per day.
- Elimination of all forms of sex discriminations (sexism), religious, national and ethnic in employment, job tenure and responsibilities, salaries, benefits and so on.
- Equal pay for equal work for men and women.
- The right for unemployment insurance for all.
- Health insurance.
- Official May Day holiday with pay for all of the institutions, where paid employees are working.
- Workers’ pension, after a maximum of 30 years or 60 years of age, based on the highest salary; annual increase of pensioners in proportion to the increase in the wages of employed workers; reducing the maximum amount of severance or retirement age in difficult and dangerous jobs: Determination of these matters must be within the competence of the independent trade unions and other elected organizations of the workers.
- At least four months of maternity leave, with full pay and benefits for the female employed, or the unemployed workers; undertake all pre and post-natal care cost by the social insurance.
- Guaranteed wage payment at the end of each month for the work they have done, by the government, if the employer for any reason evades the payment.
- Ban lockouts of the factories by the employers without the endorsement of the trade unions, or other elected workers’ organizations.
- The prohibition of the layoffs by the employers, without the endorsement of trade unions or other elected workers ‘organizations.
- Immediate return of the workers who have been detained and expelled, due to their struggles for workers’ demands; elimination of accusations and prohibition of their prosecution and their payments and benefits, whilst they were expelled from their jobs.
- Free education at all levels for all; compulsory education for all children and adolescent, boys and girls until the end of the age of 16; providing free books and school supplies; providing at least one meal per day for the students.
- Free health care for all those who attend school.
- Struggle to provide adequate housing for all.
- Equality of rights of all workers living in Iran, regardless of nationality, gender, religion and elimination of discrimination against migrant workers or other minority workers employed or residing in Iran.
LONG LIVE MAY DAY, INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY!
LONG LIVE THE UNITY AND SOLIDARITY OF THE WORKERS OF ALL COUNTRIES FOR THE ABOLITION OF EXPLOITATION IN THE WORLD!
Workers of Southern Pars Project
A group of Petrochemical Workers of Mahshahr Region and Port of Imam
Worker activists of southern region
A group of workers of Tehran-Karaj axix
Workers activists of Shoosh and Andimeshk
May, 2016
The May 1st, 2016 resolution
2- The delayed unpaid wages should be paid unconditionally and nonpayments should be dealt with legally. The workers demand immediate payments of the wages and compensations for their losses.
3- Workers in Iran live in very difficult conditions and the existence of intermediary and temporary contracts, absence of job security; job related accidents and the fatalities worsen their life situations, particularly in the Mine and Construction industries. The Workers are protesting such deplorable conditions and demand the removal of the temporary contracts and intermediary agencies. They want all workers including those working in small workshops and open trade areas to be covered by labor the law benefits.
4- These conditions, where inflation and high costs for the basic commodities prevail, the economic policies, known as austerity measures such as the removal of subsidies, free flow of the prices and laying off the workers under the pretexts of the privatization and deregulation that result in the destruction of the previous labor rights achievements, are condemned by the workers who demand an stop to these unjust policies.
5- We demand that all the retirees have a decent live, and there be no discriminations in the areas of labor rights. Furthermore, the workers demand free coverage of their insurance.
6- Layoffs and firing of the workers, under any pretext should stop and all the unemployed and those of employment age should be socially insured, similar to the modern world standards.
7- We the workers demand equal rights for women in all social, economic, political, cultural and family spheres and struggle for such a cause.
8- The workers, toiling masses and their legitimately, elected representatives are the most suitable to manage the deliberation of the social insurances. We demand that all the working people be provided with the social insurance benefits.
9- We the workers condemn the suppression of labor collective rights, and demand official respects for the rights to have independent unions and labor organizations. We expect recognition of the basic labor rights and in particular the protocols 87 and 98 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) that stresses the worker’s right to organize independently and the right to collective contracts. We believe that workers have the right to take their pleads to the internationally recognized authorities.
10- To be able to form an independent labor group, to protest, strike, assemble, March, freedom of speech and press…are part of the basic rights of the workers and all the people in the world. We the workers in Iran demand that such internationally recognized fundamental democratic rights to be institutionalized in Iran.
11- We demand a stop to the state suppression of the labor activists that take place under the pretext of protecting the state security. We want all the repressive measures against the labor and other social activists to be stopped. Many labor and political activists among them, members of independent labor organizations such as the Sugar Cane Haft Tapeh and Tehran bus drivers are imprisoned and tortured. We also demand unconditional freedom of all the labor and teacher activists, among them, Behnam Ibrahimzadeh, Muhammad Jarahi, Jaafar Azimzadeh, Rasoul Bedaghi and many others.
12- We the Iranian workers, do not recognize the regime created labor groups such as House of the Workers and Islamic Labor Councils and trade societies as the real representatives of the Iranian workers. We condemn the official recognition of these institutions by the World Federation of the Trade Unions (WFTU) and the effort to give the membership in the International Trade Union Council (ITUC) to a non labor group such as “Supreme Assembly of Representatives of Iranian Workers”. The Presence of these regime affiliated groups in the internationally recognized labor institution, only opens the way for further suppression of the independent labor activists in Iran.
13- The phenomenon of the child labor is unimaginatively increasing in Iran. Child labor should be prohibited and any plan to justify official recognition of child labor, should be rejected. All children should be provided free education, medical treatment and other basic living requirements, in accordance with the international charter concerning children’s right, despite the differences in socio-economic conditions of their parents and other factors such as gender, nationality, race and religion.
14- We demand the removal of every kind of discrimination and injustice regarding the immigrants specifically those of Afghan nationalities in Iran and around the world.
15- Along all other workers in Iran and around the world, we condemn the aggressive and belligerent policies against other countries and want to see the establishment of peace and security in the region and the world. We wish liberty, justice and wellbeing for all, around the world.
16- All of the workers, teachers and nurses who are fired from their jobs or are imprisoned due to staging protests, demanding for their democratic rights, should be released unconditionally, and be allowed to return to their former jobs, along with compensations.
17- May 1st, the international Labor Day must be officially recognized as a holiday and announced in calendars. We demand the removal of any kind of restriction on celebrating this important day.
Workers of the world unite!
The syndicate of Tehran and suburb bus workers
The syndicate of Sugarcane of Haft Tapeh workers
The syndicate of construction and house painting workers in the province of Alborz
The committee to organize labor organizations
The coordinating committee to organize labor organizations
May 1st, 2016
May the First 2016…
However, class conscious working people following long historical practices of their old generations, used all means to demonstrate the will of workers, to show to the world and their class enemy, workers of Iran are there and must be reckon with.
So let us follow them in real day of May in Iran. There were all sorts of manifestations and initiatives according to concrete situation. From small gathering of a few working class families to independent open demonstrations, waving red flag and denouncing the anti- workers practices, as well as participating in official pro Government gatherings with their own slogans and flags. In this gathering, there was immediate police reactions, encountering the workers, charging them and in some cases making arrests.
Teachers” union were taking parts in May Day celebration, and demanding immediate and unconditional release of their comrade in arms who are in prison. Mr. Hussein Azargashb, an activist of in defence of children was arrested and escorted to the notorious Evin Prison. Until now, we have no news of him.
Adopting them to restriction, the security forces impose in preventing labor activist, to organize in May Day, traditionally organize themselves in waling and mountaineering groups. This is been called Flowers’ picnics- Golgasht . In Albors province, the security forces as a preventive measure, a week before May Day, called upon known activists and warned them not to organize any Flowers picnics. Despite of all threats and restriction, the workers were able to go out and once again showed their resilience and strength. It was reported around Capital Tehran in one of the organized Flowers picnics, more than hundred people attended .In this gathering workers one after another denounced the policy of ruling class and explained the miserable life of the millions of workers and their families.
In most of the towns in Iranian Kurdestan, there were open celebrations in streets and known activists gave speeches and demanded the rights of workers to celebrate freely the First of May.
Saneh, saghez, Baneh,Maryvan,kamiaran Sardasht are just examples, where the workers came out for May Day.
Here are a few names which we received through private channels who were arrested, some freed after mistreatment and interrogation and some are still held in custody and just there is no news from some of them.
Mohammad Abdipour
Azad Ahmadi
Ahmad Abdipour
Sadigh Mohamadi
Pedram Abdipour
Among the arrestee, we see Rahaman Kardar and Hossein Moradi, labor activist and members of Coordinating Committee of workers.
It was reported too that security forces asked two other labor activists – Sayed Anvar Miatar and sayed Jalal Hosseini to report to them.
Manifestations of May the First, were reported From all over Iran, Mashhad, Khoramshar, Abadan, Esfahan, Varameen,…
Red Flags in the hands of supporters of the working class movements- abroad, were very much seen all over the world. The Iranians participated and joined the progressive march of the humanity against the exploitation and oppressions.
To sum up the report, we must praise the workers of Iran, who braved the current, went against all difficulties, and cried very loudly:
AWAY WITH ALL PESTS, LONG LIVE THE INTERNATIONAL WORKERS DAY.
DOWN WITH CAPITALISM AND BARBARISM.
SOCIALISM IS THE ONLY SOLUTION
Be auspicious – May Day …
The blood of these comrade workers became the red flag, which still has not been laid down from the back of the labour activists. Spies, the hero, in front of the noose announced: ‘the voice that you are going to silence today will resonate in the world someday.’
130 years has passed since this incident, but still across the world, the working class is demanding 8 hours work, with a decent wage, the right to strike and protest and rally against the capitalist brutality, and immunity of the labour activists, from any political police in the workers’ labour protests.
For many years in Iran, our country, the workers and the trade union activists, are thrown into the prison, on charges of disturbing the public order and the national security of the country as well. We are asking, if we demand a decent wage for our families expenses, who will be at risk? Why there must not be a May Day rally in a country that claims to be the defender of the working class? And even the agents of this system, be excluded from this rally as well?
But what the workers announce in such rallies? Who will be in danger by exposing the disclosure of the loans received by the board of directors and the managers of the social security, which their authorities claim loudly that this organization is bankrupt? On what basis of the constitution, the Khuzestan province’s justice, prohibits the workers’ protests against the contractors’ abuses, and throws the workers into prison for disturbing the system’s law?
Why, asking for a decent wage for working class citizens, in order to live as human beings, which is pointed out by the constitution and the labours’ law, is an offence to the Government and especially to the Minister of Labour? Also, the exposing of the Minister of Labour’s, collaborating with the employers, to confirm the $US 230 per month wage, and whether the Minister of Industry, the Central Bank president, the Minister of the Economy, and the Labour’s Minister could support their families living standard, with such a wage that we could? If we protest for this inhuman treatment, by the order of the chief justice of the Khuzestan province, we will be thrown in prison! We are urging the court, to declare, that whose security is in danger by the workers’ efforts of the Ebrahim Madadi, Davoud Razavi, Ismail Abdi, Ali Akbar Baghani, Beheshti Langroudi, Mohammad Jarahi, Jafar Azimzadeh, and …?
Who is taking care of everyday embezzlement, which causes inflation and unemployment? Whether the authorities responsible must not be brought to justice? Or they have been placed there to control the workers, so that the real thieves escape to Canada, or like Babak Zanjani (the famous embezzler), steal that so much, his debts are out of reach of all? Our wage is delayed for months, and no one can protest to these gentlemen. Objection means unemployment, as workers are sacked from jobs & placed on a blacklist. Do those officers who have been given the responsibility to put us under their scrutiny, know that the constitution says the workers must be paid for their job? To avoid the payments of thousands of workers and their families means jeopardizing the national security and disturbing the public order?
Every day they are robbing the working class, by not paying their under $US13 per month subsidies, and deprive some of them. Mr. Tarari has said that: ‘the working class, by collecting this money, could go on a holiday and their lives will be prosperous. This person must be imprisoned and punished due to the bankruptcy of the economy of the country and adherence to the directives of the International monetary fund (IMF)?
Who is responsible for responding to the looting of the job security & the mental and the well-being of the working class families, by the directives of IMF?
It is May Day, and we too are insisting on our national security & we also don’t want our national security to be disturbed. That is why we are asking the government officials, to deal with those who have destroyed our economy, with importing goods, and developing embezzlement and bribery in the most decisive way possible. Those employers who have left the factories in pursuit of the brokerage, should be sentenced to imprisonment, and leave these units to the workers’ management. The unworthy board of the social security administration and other institutions be deposed and their management be handed over to the workers.
Hardworking Brothers and sisters,
The beautiful Milad tower (in Tehran, Iran) has been made with our rough hands, the oil income entering our country with our black hands and bent backs, the gold on the chest of the rich is excavated by our wizened hands from the deep earth, the knowledge is gained with the damage to the soul & health of the teachers, the health will be regained by the sleeplessness of the nurses in our society. The scrub irons will become a beautiful car with our hands, and in one word, if the working class doesn’t exist, there is no production, and if there is no production, the wealth doesn’t exist.
Labour Activist,
We have proven several times & have repeatedly demonstrated with our unity, that in every crisis, we are the victors. The capitalists are trying to steal our wealth and enslaving our children. We have to penetrate into the working class toilers and in one voice with them, protest against injustice and the lawlessness. We have no other choice than to be united.
We, the toilers, must come together, get organised in the trade unions, expose and disrupt the IMF plan for the recruitment of the succumbed and cheap labour. The future belongs to the working class, and unity is the key to the victory!
- The Mechanic metalworkers union
- The Irans labour Project Union
- The founding board of the painting and decorating workers of Tehran
- The guild of the craftsmen of Aslaviyeh
28 April 2016
To our dear reader
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