Iran strikers: “We are not slaves”

A strike wave is building in Iran. It began in the oil industry, and now includes workers in mines, power plants, and in chemical and steel companies is building in Iran.

Workers are demanding large pay increases. Over 100,000 workers are reportedly involved, so far.

The strike movement began on Saturday 22 April.

Workers in more than 100 enterprises have joined the industrial action. Most of these workers are working on temporary contracts for sub-contractors. Permanent staff in the oil companies are a relatively privileged group and are wary of risking their jobs by striking.

The Council for Organising Oil Contract-Workers’ Protests stated, “We firmly declare that we are not slaves to anyone.” The Council appears to be organising regional workers’ assemblies to discuss the strike action.

Workers complain of rampant corruption amongst well-connected senior managers, wage delays, poverty pay, poor conditions at work and threats against strikers from the security services.

Inflation is running at around 50%. The government’s Supreme Labour Council has proposed to increase the minimum wage by only 27%.

Peyman Shajirati, a labour activist and former worker at Khuzestan National Steel Group, says that “The primary demand of the new campaign is to increase wages by 79 percent and establish labour contracts based on a 20-day work month.”

According to Shajirati, the strikes are mainly taking place in industries owned by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, military institutions and government-linked organisations. (Information: IranWire)

The Iran-wide union of truck owners and drivers’ organisations has announced their support for these strikes and is planning its own stoppage from late May.

Official media in Iran is not covering the strike movement and the Labour Ministry has not commented on the workers’ action. Independent workers’ organisations and strikes are heavily repressed in Iran.

The bosses have responded to the strike wave with mass sackings and the state has rounded up scores of worker activists.

4,000 striking workers were reportedly under threat of being sacked in Bushehr, an important port town.

One worker told the Centre for Human Rights in Iran: “Workers in general, and particularly the seasonal project workers, are protesting terrible working conditions and unlivable wages.” The workers feel as if they have no choice but to strike.

In the run-up to 1 May Mohammad Habibi, spokesperson of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, was re-arrested, having been released from prison only in February. Many of the recently arrested Iranian trade unionists are being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin prison.

Reza Shahabi and Hassan Saeidi, senior members of the Tehran bus drivers’ union, issued a statement from inside the prison expressing solidarity with the imprisoned worker activists.

On 1 May, workers’ rallies took place in more than a dozen cities in 11 provinces across Iran.

The strikes come after months of street protests following the murder of a young Iranian-Kurdish woman, Mahsa Jina Amini. Jina was killed in detention following her arrest for violating Iran’s misogynistic dress codes for women. Protesters have been demanding the repeal of the compulsory hijab law for women, and women’s equality: “Women, Life, Freedom”.

An opinion survey of 158,000 Iranians conducted by the Dutch Gamaan institute in late December 2022 showed that 81% rejected the Islamic state, with 15% in support. Among those who rejected, 40% would prefer a democratic republic and 22% a constitutional monarchy.