During the recent years, at work
and in their lives, our country’s workers and toilers have faced countless difficulties.
Disappearance of millions of workers’ job security, prevalence of the temporary
contracts, the phenomenon of unpaid back wages, and closing of the factories
and recession in the production plants, are among the difficulties causing the
major part the workers’ discontent and protests.
From the start of the Rouhani
administration up to now, in spite of the pre-election promises, especially on
the subject of “wages”, no concrete action for improvement of the workers’ and
toilers’ condition, and also observance of their labor-union rights, has taken
place. As an example, one can point to the Grand Labor Council’s bill regarding
the amount of current year’s (2014) minimum wage. Twenty-five percent increases
in the amount of minimum wage, corresponds to imposing of poverty on the
workers and destruction of their job security.
During the recent months and in
preparation for the Grand Labor Council meetings for determination of the 2014
minimum wage, extensive discussions around the need for exerting pressure, and
attempt to force the Ministry of Labor and other official Islamic Republic
institutions to respect and ensure workers’ labor-union rights, especially the
right to organize genuine trade-union organizations and the right to strike,
have taken place. The most important point in these discussions is the
agreement among the existing labor-union activists for strengthening the
struggle for restoration of the labor-union rights; this is an indication of
the growth and political-trade maturity of the labor-union and labor activists
in this particular period. In spite of the differences in opinions, viewpoints,
and differences in tastes in the labor-union movement, which is natural, the unanimity
in intensification of the struggle by using all available means and
opportunities undoubtedly is a very positive and gratifying achievement.
The struggle experience in the
recent years, especially the protest movement in the last two years, has shown
that without the independent labor-union organizations, organized on correct
class basis, the country’s workers and toilers are not and will not be able to achieve
their demands and protect their interests. During the time that the Grand Labor
Council meetings were taking place, and the so called “labor representatives”,
which all of them are members of the Islamic Labor Councils and the Grand
Center for Islamic Labor Councils, along with the government and management
representatives were making a decision on the amount of the minimum wage, the
Ministry of labor conducted several maneuvers. During the final weeks of the
last year, it was announced that regarding the 2014 wages, while coordinating
with different labor organizations, the Islamic Labor Councils’ representatives
are trying to present a unified position in defense of the labor’s wages at the
Grand Labor Council. As an example, on 3rd of Esfand, Mehr News
Agency reported: “In preparation for determination of the workers’ minimum wage
for 2014 in the Grand Labor Council, the possibility of forming a special
workers’ committee for exchange of information and ideas is becoming stronger.
While learning about different labor organizations’ ideas, through the
committee, the workers intend to prepare a joint and clear scenario for
presentation and defense at the barging processes during the following weeks.”
Meeting of the coordinators of the workers’ protest petition with the Labor
Minster’s deputies prior to the announcement of the 2014 minimum wage is
another one of the topics that must be paid especial watchful attention. Concurrently,
the Secretary General of the Grand Assembly of the Iranian Workers Representatives,
the individual that for years from the security organizations officially
represented the Islamic Republic in the international circles, indicated that
regarding the minimum wage we will proceed in line with the “discussion of the
decent-work and just wages.” Therefore, one can see and identify different
aspects of the less obvious certain policies in opposition with the struggle
for restoration of the labor-union rights. The question is: What has suddenly
happened that during the Grand Labor Council meetings, the “especial workers’
committee for exchange of information between different workers’ groups and
organizations” plan is widely being suggested and advertised? One must seek the answer in the existing
concrete realities, especially in the conscious and non-stop action of the
workers’ labor-union movement in a direction for more effective presence in the
events and strengthening of the independent labor-unions role; also, their
unity in intensification of the struggle for restoration of the labor-union
rights. Connected with this, one can point to the labor organizations’ legal
action regarding the 2013 minimum wage, which was a proper action in defense of
the workers’ rights. Also, the workers’ protest actions for increase of the
wages prior to ending of the Grand Labor Council meetings can be considered as examples
of the working class consciousness at this stage. Regarding this, one can point
to signing of the petition by eight-hundred Tabriz petrochemical workers, and Mahshar
petrochemical workers as well.
Now, workers’ multilateral
struggle for restoration of their labor-union rights has entered a new stage.
After years of repression, prosecution and false and demagogic representation,
millions of Iranian workers have realized that no other organization can be a
substitute for a labor-union organization. Existence of labor-union
organization in production plants and service institutions is a vital
necessity; also, nation-wide, in different production-service industries scale,
to obtain and protect their interests, workers need labor-unions. Labor-union
organization, is workers’ only certain and logical means for defending workers’
and toilers’ rights.
On the basis of their character
and nature, and because of their trade-union responsibilities, for restoration
of workers’ labor-union rights, the independent unions, while safeguarding
their independence in action and class-identity in all levels, can intensify
their struggle using all available opportunities, and strengthen workers’
labor-union movement from this position.
The basic principle in this
struggle is the class independent action and unity in action among all ranks of
the existing labor-union movement!
United Workers Everything
Isolated Workers Nothing
