It is 23 days since the strike action of oil and gas workers which has swept across Iran. Currently over 100,000 workers have joined the strike action over demands including pay and conditions, health and safety, 20 day working month. Given the rocketing rises in the prices of basic goods, workers are demanding automatic pay increases accordingly, and abolishment of the role of sub-contractors in the industry.
The national strike has taken place despite the consistent actions of the Islamic Republic to divide the workers in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries over the last four decades, including a range of contracts of employment, use of sub-contractors, agencies, temporary, short-term contracts, “official and non-official employment”, and deployment and re-employment of workers among the sub-contractors.
Workers have organised the solid strike action in over a hundred different workplaces in an industry, where there is a complete official ban on any form of workers’ organisations. Through this industrial action, workers have stressed on the crucial need to maintain their unity in this strike. They have re-affirmed their intent to stand together against all the efforts of the sub-contractors to sabotage their unity by intimidation, hollow promises of change in their pay if they return to work, etc.
There is presently a growing support for the demands of the striking workers in different of workplaces in Iran, including teachers, bus drivers of the public transport, retired employees, students, alongside workers at a range of industries. Additionally, messages of support and solidarity have also been sent internationally from calling on the Islamic Republic to recognise the demands of the workers.
Aman Kafa
Hekmatist Party (Official Line) – Organisation Abroad
12 July, 2021