Rouhani’s assuming responsibility
in the condition of economic recession of the recent years in our country, and
escalation of implementation of the economic programs dictated by organizations
such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, meaning programs of
“Free Market Economy – Resistance Economy”, our country’s workers’ and toilers’
conditions have deteriorated more than ever. Faster implementation of economic
policies of privatization, deregulation in places of work and work relations,
deregulation of prices by elimination of subsidies (Targeting of the Subsidies
Law), attempts in deregulation of workers’ wages, have destroyed toilers’ lives
and their job-security.
During the recent months we have
witnessed wide-spread, persistent, but isolated labor protests in different
parts of the country. At the start of its work about 15 months ago, Rouhani’s
government and its Minster of Labor Ali Rabieih were well aware of the conditions
of the government made labor organizations. In addition to continual disputes
among these organization for better share of the government provided
opportunities, because of collusion with all Islamic Republic governments and
continually turning their backs to Iranian workers’ class interests during all
their active period, workers were well conscious of the true nature of the
government made labor organization. As an example, according to ILNA’s (Iranian
Labor News Agency) January 29, 2014 report, during the nation-wide Workers’
House’s Executive Committee meeting, Hassan Sadegy, Deputy General Secretary of
the Workers’ House on provincial issues indicated, “The total number of three
labor organizations’ (three official government organizations) members is not
even one percent of the total nine million and seven hundred thousand workers.”
When cooperation of some of leaders of these organizations with Mortazavy’s plunder
of workers’ Social Security funds became known, standing of the official labor organizations
even became much worse. As an example, in a conversation with ILNA on August
18, 2014, President of the central provinces’ Workers’ Grand Center for Trade
Associations considered, “Presence of workers’ representatives accused of
looting workers’ belongings at the head of the official labor organizations,
several months after exposure of Social Security assets’ plunder, as a dark and
shameful point in Judiciary and Ministry of Labor’s dossier”; and after
pointing to the current positions of six leaders of three government made labor
organizations who had received “large sums of money” from Mortazavy, he added,
“The minimum expectation of workers is to be aware of the process of
investigation of plunder of their assets.”
According to ILNA’s January 18,
2014 report from the televised debate on 2014 workers’ wages, in program’s
survey, “90 percent of the people supported the workers.” In other words,
Rouhani’s government and its Minster of Labor Rabieih are also well aware of
the peoples’ distrust of the government of “prudence and hope’s” empty slogans.
During the recent 15 months, Hassan Rouhani and people in charge in his
government, especially a former member of security forces Ali Rabieih, have
tried hard to portray themselves as “popular” and denounce thieves of the
Ahmadinejad governments as those mainly responsible for all our country’s
difficulties. Minister of Labor Ali Rabieih has tried to deceive workers and
prove that he is a “worker” and “of peoples’ nature (kind).” We will refer to
several of Rabieih’s remarks: ISNA, August 2013, “I am here for workers’ job
security”; ILNA, August 17, 2013, “I will bring smile back to workers’
children’s lips”; ILNA, February 8, 2014, “I was a factory worker myself, but I
have become a minister now”; ILNA, April 28, 2014, “This is an honor for
Islamic Revolution that today’s administrators are of peoples’ nature.”
In some of the labor protests and
strikes, Ministry of Labor officials personally, and in some cases even Rabieih
himself, have tried to deceive workers and persuade them to give up their
demands for just rights. But in some cases workers have practically turned down
Rabieih’s requests and have openly shown their disbelief of his deception. During
labor strikes, in cases that government authorities had to negotiate with
workers’ representatives, to show their brutality to the workers, almost in all
cases Ministry of Labor officials have shown up at the talks with authorities
from the Ministry of Information, representatives from judiciary and revolutionary
guard leaders. But available evidences show that these schemes have lost their
past effectiveness as well. Just like eleventh government (Rouhani’s
government) authorities, most officials of the government made labor
organizations try to beautify the “prudence and hope” government’s appearance
and blame anti-national governments of Ahmadinejad for all the failings.
Workers’ House, and especially its General Secretary Alireza Mahjoub, has
played a critical role in this respect. But because of the rivalries between
the leaders of the so called labor organizations and their attempts in
achieving higher positions, these “leaders” have hurt the government made labor
organizations as well. On occasions, leaders of the yellow labor organizations
even have admitted to the lack of independence of these labor organizations; or
at least they have emphasized their rivals’ dependence to the government. We
will submit two examples. On August 25, 2014, Secretary of the Center for
Coordination of the Central Province’s Islamic Labor Councils, while indicating
that “Islamic Labor Councils and other labor organizations recognized by the
Labor Law lack independence in the real meaning of the word”, told ILNA, “In
general, as long as labor trade organizations are not formed independently within
the work-places, we can not expect positive actions from higher labor
organizations”; and on September 13, 2014, in a conversation with ILNA, a
member of the Iranian Workers’ Grand Center for Trade Associations indicated, “Up
to now in which labor trade dispute these three organizations have taken a
position so that we could expect them to take a position on the Social Security
Organization’s embezzlement case connected with Mortazavy……Those who are
elected in these organizations generally do not have the required independence,
and their main goal is to reach the higher organization……and now, while with headlights-off
they are trying to change the manner in which minimum wage is being determined,
it is natural that because of fear of not being boycotted by the Ministry of
Labor, some labor representatives prefer to stay quiet.”
Islamic Republic is well aware of
the capacity of our country’s working class for creating real social-economic
changes in the interests of the toilers. For oppressing the labor movement,
Rouhani’s government does not consider using simply the security forces and
Basich (militia) thugs sufficient; and it intends to expand its capabilities
and elevate the organizational level of its own front. While Rouhani’s
government and Minister of Labor Rabieih intend to use the yellow labor
organizations to their full capacity; there are signs that the Ministry of
Labor authorities have realized these organizations’ inability in opposing the
labor movement. To confront the labor movement, in addition to elevating the
security environment in places of work and Islamic Republic’s daily imposition
of oppression in the society; one can say that the Rouhani’s government and its
Labor Minster Rabieih with his security background, have started a four-way approach.
1. “Reforming structure” of the government made labor organizations; 2. “Changing
the investigation structure of disputes between labor and management”; 3. Establishing
management organizations and using them as a labor organization, and elevating organizational
level of the capitalist class; 4. Increasing efforts for creating cracks within
the workers and toilers.
1. According to September 26,
2014 Mehr News Agency’s report, Seid Hassan Hefdah-Tan, Ministry of Labor’s
Deputy for Work Relations, called the country’s labor and management
organizations “weak and devoid of power and sufficient influence to be involved
in decision making in economic affairs”, and added, “Structure of these organizations
need reform and review and purity in trade dimensions.” Of course, Ministry of
Labor’s new program for reforming the “structure” of the government made
organizations is not clear; however, these remarks could also be a warning for
removal of people like the member of the Iranian Workers’ Grand Center
2. On September 18, 2014,
Mohammad Essabaty, Work Inspection Director General told ILNA about a letter
written by Rabieih to Minister of Justice requesting “creation of ‘specialized
branches’ in Judiciary for investigation of violations of contents of the Labor
Law”, and indicated, “Currently, as specialized courts, ‘Recognition and
Resolution of Differences Committees’ of Labor offices around the country are
responsible for resolving the differences between the workers and managers”;
and on September 29, 2014, quoting Rabieih, Mehr News Agency reported of “changing
the investigation structure of disputes between labor and management” and
wrote, ”At present system of investigation of disputes is not adequate for
labor and management regime and soon there will be a review.” In other words,
Ministry of Labor’s Recognition and Resolution of Differences Committees’
responsibilities will be assigned to the Judiciary; meaning that Islamic
Republic courts’ cruel judgments, such as the prison and whip verdict for the
Razy Petrochemical workers, will gain legal recognition.
3. To strengthen capitalists’ organizational
level, and if needed, to use organizations which by nature are managerial as
labor organizations, in the recent months Ministry of Labor has tried to
organize numerous management organizations around the country. We will submit
two such reports. While criticizing Ministry of Labor for not responding to his
letters, according to the September 14, 2014 report of ILNA, Secretary of the
Center for Housing Workers’ Trade Associations of the country “reported of
activities of naturally management groups that with Ministry of Labor’s support
present themselves as housing workers’ representatives”; and added, “In non of
those cases (Article 131 of the Labor Law) it has been stated that commercial,
economical,…..companies are responsible for workers’ trade problems and can
speak as representative of workers of a certain trade.” As another example, on
September 7, 2014, President of the Central Province’s Bus Drivers’ Trade
Association reported of “illegal formation of at least 5 driving workers’ trade
association in that state” to ILNA and said, “There are about 500 of driving
workers at the Central Province’s Bus Drivers’ Trade Association……New
associations have been formed next to us which only use the labor title and
there members are in fact employers.” According to ISNA’s report, during his
three day visit of Iran, on October 9, 2014, Brent Wilton, Secretary General of
the International Job Creators (Employers) Organization indicated, “For
International Organization (for Employers), Iran’s management organization in
the region is very important…..Our advise to governments is to get the private
sector involved, provide counsel and establish organizations similar to the
management organizations in the labor sector.”
According to the September 29, 2014 Mehr News Agency’s report, at the
first Managing Board meeting of the Grand Center for Managers’ Trade
Associations, Rabieih reported of creation of “1500 new labor and management
organizations during one year work of the eleventh government (Rouhani’s
government)” and indicated, “Management Grand Centers can serve as think-tanks for
the management sector, so that their experts’ views can be transferred to the
government……we must follow a solution to be able to have strong managers’
organizations.” Most likely, the 1500 “labor and management” organizations that
Rabieih was referring to, are organizations of the kind mentioned in the last
two reports; these reports and Rabieih’s own statements show that Ministry of
Labor is actively trying to strengthen the management organizations. In
addition to reinforcing the management front for confronting the labor movement
inside the country, like Ahmadinejad’s Minister of Labor’s claim for having
8000 labor and management organizations in international meetings, the newly
created “1500 labor and management organizations” claimed by Rabieih, can also
strengthen Islamic Republic’s false standing in the International Labor
Organization.
4. In combating our country’s
labor movement, creating dispute and split in the working class’ front and
among labor activists has been one of Islamic Republic’s effective and unending
tools. But with intensification of the labor protests, we are witnessing
government’s added use of this anti-labor weapon. As an example, despite having
almost similar specialty and technical expertise with the official employees,
1800 Razy Petrochemical’s contracted and temporary workers make “several times
less than” the official employees. Or, collecting and publishing of repulsive
and fracturing remarks of Razy Petrochemical’s so called official employees as
an article by ILNA News Agency, is a very clear example of government’s attempt
in creating cracks among workers. Allowing “for the first time very limited
number of contracted workers and their families” to participate in swimming
training sessions of one of the Arvand Petrochemical swimming pools by managers
of this production plant; and according to ILNA’s September 20th
report, spouses of some official employees leaving the pool after contracted
workers’ spouses enter the pool, is another revolting and calculated action of
the factories’ managers and government’s Ministry of Labor.
Extensive labor protests,
continuation of protests at least until the stage of obtaining an assurance for
materialization of workers’ demands, resolute support of the workers’ of their
real representatives in such a dire economic conditions, show a new level of maturity
of our country’s labor movement. Independent syndicates and labor activists
must use all openings in elevating workers’ organizational level. Organization
of workers in their own independent syndicates, solidarity with and support of
other workers’ strikes, united action of the existing and independent
syndicates, can put an end to all this exploitation and it can be very
effective and valuable in restoration of the labor union rights.
