Five Labor Organizations Demand 'End to Poverty' and 'Abolition of Repression' in Iran

Five independent labor organizations in Iran issued a joint statement regarding the recent protests and demonstrations in several cities, calling for an 'end to poverty and misery' and the 'abolition of all forms of repression, oppression, and imprisonment.' This statement follows protests that began in Mashhad on Thursday, during which over a thousand protesters have been arrested and more than 20 have been killed. The Free Union of Workers of Iran, the Association of Electrical and Metal Workers of Kermanshah, the Painters' Syndicate of Alborz Province, the Workers' Rights Defenders' Center, and the Committee for the Follow-up of Labor Organizations have also raised other demands, including 'the release of political prisoners,' 'the trial of those who plunder social wealth and the perpetrators of repression and oppression at any level,' and 'the return of embezzled public funds from financial institutions.' These independent labor organizations emphasized the need for an increase in the minimum wage for workers and government and private sector employees, as well as the elimination of exorbitant salaries for government officials. They called for 'guarantees for the establishment of independent labor and civil organizations and unconditional freedom of expression, press, and political party activities.' In their statement, they noted that 'the people, fed up with oppression, repression, inflation, poverty, and unemployment, are shouting their demands to end the hellish situation.' Economist Ahmad Alavi, in a note for Radio Farda, stated that 'the series of protests in various cities of Iran did not arise suddenly and are indicative of dissatisfaction with the current situation, particularly the poor economic conditions, as a significant portion of the slogans are directed at economic problems, especially inflation or, in other words, the rising cost of living that the majority of people are struggling with.' He added, 'The feeling of increasing poverty and class disparity, as well as the continuous decline in living standards, form part of the common motivations for these protests. However, this is not the whole story. The clash of realities felt with what was promised by Hassan Rouhani also underlies the demonstrators' unrest. It should not be forgotten that Hassan Rouhani made many promises regarding economic prosperity, job creation, and reducing poverty and inequality during his second presidential campaign.' In this context, economist Hossein Raghfar, in an interview with the Iskan News website, pointed to what he called 'the parade of elitism against the acute poverty of the majority of the people,' stating, 'Serious warnings have been given to the established governments for years, but no one paid attention.' The statement from these organizations mentioned that 'the demands that have today provided the grounds for mass marches and gatherings of the working people of Iran, centered on protests against inflation, poverty, and unemployment, have been shouted for years by workers, teachers, students, nurses, and all working classes of society, while the rulers have been busy plundering and looting social wealth without any attention to them.' According to the authors of this statement, 'What we are witnessing today in the streets of various cities is the eruption of the accumulated anger of the working people of Iran from the plundering and embezzlement of billions by the highest government officials and individuals and financial institutions connected to the power structure on one side and the poverty and misery of millions of people on the other side, along with the millions of unemployed workers and youth, the beating of street vendors, and the killing of porters, as well as the imposition of wages several times below the poverty line on workers and laborers.' They also criticized what they called 'the establishment of a system of whipping, imprisonment, and torture against any claim for rights and freedom.' In recent months, many reports have emerged regarding security and judicial confrontations with workers and labor organizations. This is while these workers and labor organizations have protested against the delayed payment of wages and benefits, the privatization of factories, and the dismissal of workers. In this context, the security and judicial confrontations with workers and labor organizations have drawn severe criticism from human rights organizations and international labor unions. Nevertheless, officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have denied these criticisms, stating that they have good interactions with labor organizations and recognize workers' organization rights.