Denial of rights of the women in
all spheres of their lives, with different means and by discriminatory and
reactionary laws; the people who constitute half of the population of Iran, and
in development and production of agricultural, industrial, educational, and
service, both in quality and quantity, play a major role, has continued for
many years.
These prejudiced laws which are
in concert with the Islamic Republic’s economic plans, have impaired benefits
and rights of the workers employed in trades, especially female workers. In
effect, the policies dictated by the International Monetary Fund and the World
Bank, is opposed to the fair distribution of the riches produced by blue and
white workers among themselves.
One of the most reactionary and profiteering
policies in the existing exploitive regime in Iran is the state of plants with
less than ten workers, which are not covered by the labor law. Exploitation of
women workers in small and medium plants, and underground plants lacking permit,
is rampant. Numerous reports indicate that the most common difficulties of
women workers include: long work hours, inadequate wages, hard and unbearable
work; and in some cases, denial of insurance benefits, and wages less than
those of men for equal work.
Since women working in these
plants (underground plants lacking permit, and small and medium plants not
covered by the labor law) are in urgent need of money, never complain about
their managers; therefore, without a complaint, this process can continue for
years.
A very important point which can
be added to these matters is that in the absence independent, non-governmental
unions, unions not connected to the government institutions, not only toilers’
and workers’ difficulties will not subside, but in the absence of independent
and genuine workers’ unions, again and again the rights our country’s workers
will be trampled on by exploitive and profiteering managers.
Labor activists and unionists
must consistently bring this point among the women workers up, and remind them,
that their interests is inseparable from those of the working class in its general;
and considering this point, without cohesion within the genuine labor
organization, one cannot, or perhaps with major difficulty might be able to
take a step toward realization of the workers’ and toilers’ rights.
