May Day Message from Workers Left Unity- Iran May 2003
Over the last few years, almost every day, and at times more than once a day, workers in Iranian cities and towns have protested against non payment of wages, unemployment, job insecurity, and low wages ... in doing so they have shown the presence of their class, raising their voice against a reactionary regime, IranÆs Islamic Republic. For millions of Iranian workers, for women and the youth, Islamic fundamentalism in power in Iran for over 23 years has brought nothing but poverty, repression and daily interference of religion in their private lives. No wonder that for most Iranians, fundamentalism in power , both in its ærefomistÆ and æconservativeÆ factions, has become synonymous with corruption, greed and clerics gathering huge fortunes. In Iran we call them ômercedesÆ driven mullahs, accumulating astronomic wealth , at the expense of the poverty of the masses . Sons of these clerics, AGHAZADEH ha as Iranian call them , have played their part in this web of corruption and greed, increasing the gap between the rich and the poor. This year, first of May is approaching under circumstances when Iranian workers have faced a particularly difficult year. Prices are rising dramatically, the purchasing power of all wage earners has fallen considerably and yet the wages of large numbers of workers has not even been paid for the work they have in the last few months!
Mass job losses continue and huge numbers of workers have joined the ranks of the unemployed, with no insurance, no unemployment benefit. Other sections of the working class, wage earners, including agricultural workers, seasonal workers , workers working from home, foreign workers child workers ... are deprived of any cover from the lack lustre measures of the æIslamicÆ Labour legislation. The clerical regime has passed a law, mainly designed to protect its allies in the Bazaar by exempting workshops of 10 employees or less from the cover of most of the regulation in the labour Legislation, leaving the majority of

Iranian workers at the mercy of employers and exempt from this legislation. This exemption was passed to allow capitalists to enslave workers with no legal rights, allowing factory and workshop owners to pay workers less than the minimum wage, to employ children , so that they can force workers to work maximum number of hours, with no responsibility regarding the health and safety of employees. When the same capitalists decide that their financial interests lie in closing down the factory, expelling workers, they can do so with no regulation, no workers rights..
The capitalist class and the Islamic regime, hand in hand have forced Iranian workers to accept slave labour wages, reducing the producers of wealth and society's fortunes to beggars- In order to achieve this, they have primarily deprived the Iranian working class of any organisation: trade unions, independent organisations, the right to strike, the right to organise. 'Islamic' capitalists and their state in Iran have always used religion, law, force to disperse workers, to stop them organising, to control them via state sponsored, yellow unions, to attack and suppress their gatherings, strikes, so that they can exploit them further.
Over the last few years, Workers throughout Iran have taken steps to celebrate May Day independent of yellow unions and Islamic shoras. They have transformed illegal demonstrations into major gatherings to protest against the anti workers regime. This year too, on the 1st of May throughout Iran, workers will join demonstrations, united in raising their voice in defence of their demands: to protest against the legislation exempting workshops of 5 employees! To express their anger at non payment of wages for the last few months, a policy that has left many in poverty. They will demand unemployment benefit for all unemployed worker and an end to exploitation of child workers! They will oppose lower wages for women workers and foreign workers, they will defend equal pay for equal work! They will demand the setting up of independent workers organisations; they will unite against managers and denounce the stateÆs "Khaneh Kargar" , Islamic shoras and the Islamic Labour Party all created by the ministry of Intelligence in order to control and divert workers protests and exploit them in factional in fighting within the regime. They will keep clear of these dark webs of Islamic intrigue !
Iranian workers will organise themselves in defence of the right to strike, the right to protest !They will show the power of their class with unity in demonstrations on the 1st of May 2003!
We hope the allies of the Iranian working class abroad, the anti war movement will join us in spreading the news of workers protests throughout the world not only on the first May but also every other day groups of Iranian workers risk their lives to defend their basic rights. We call on International workers organisation, and especially the activist of the anti capitalist movement to demonstrate their solidarity with Iranian workers against the bankruptcy and corruption of the Islamic state. Long Live May Day
Long Live the Working class!
Down with Islamic Republic Regime!
Long Live International Solidarity of the working class!
Workers of the World Unite!
Long Live Socialism !
Workers Left Unity- Iran
30 April 2003
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