This is a picture of a beautiful flower.
Mohammad Mohabbi

Nowadays, it is almost clear to everyone that without professional and organized work, it is not possible to advance a demand; especially when one side is a government institution with high power. Power can only be balanced with power. One of the most important ways to become powerful is unity and organization.

Workers, as one of the most vulnerable groups in society, have a crucial need to strengthen themselves through organization and unity in order to pursue their demands. The experience of workers’ struggles around the world has shown that without cohesive organizations, it is not possible to pursue workers’ demands, and until there is a power that can put pressure on the institutions of power or employers, none of the workers’ demands will be met. This has led to the fact that in developed countries, workers have well-defined, independent and powerful organizations. These unions and syndicates represent the demands of workers and in times of necessity, through tactics such as strikes, sit-ins, marches, sanctions, etc., they put pressure on institutions such as the government or employers to meet the demands of workers.

During the past weeks, the workers of Nishkar Haft Tapeh and Ahvaz Steel companies have engaged in widespread protests. Despite the fact that their movements are non-violent and strongly peaceful, they have been brutally suppressed and put under pressure. On the other hand, various groups and factions are trying to infiltrate the ranks of the workers and divert their movements. Therefore, all the efforts and struggles of the workers have been almost in vain. Their demands are simple and basic, and only involve receiving their overdue payments and finalizing the privatization of these companies. The Islamic Republic has been privatizing state-owned companies for several years, under the guise of “privatization,” and handing them over to its own cronies. The Khuzestan Sugar Development Plan itself is a betrayal of the environment of Khuzestan and Iran, and the privatization of the Haft Tapeh Sugar Company is an even greater betrayal.

The Islamic Republic government argues that by doing this, it intends to strengthen the private sector. However, firstly, there is no such thing as privatization in the Iranian economy, nor is it possible. Secondly, privatizing state-owned companies does not strengthen the private sector; rather, it creates a corrupt and privileged class that will be even more corrupt than the state-owned sector, and the structure of state-owned companies will also be destroyed, leaving workers and employees who used to provide for their families through these companies in poverty. If privatization is the issue, the Islamic Republic government should gradually step aside in favor of the private sector in various sectors, instead of turning inefficient and failed companies into stock market commodities or handing over some of its companies to its cronies for looting and corruption, and should not appear as a competitor to the private sector.

The structure of many government companies in Iran is such that the private sector does not have the ability to manage them. It is only the government that, relying on the public budget, keeps them afloat and gives meager salaries and benefits to their workers and employees. In addition, there are corrupt and incompetent managers who are busy looting and embezzling from these companies. Therefore, true privatization of these companies is not possible. Moreover, what has been implemented in the past three decades in the era of the Islamic Republic is not true privatization, but rather nationalization. The government, relying on treasury funds, can control and dominate the market in its favor, and with force and coercion, it can manage these non-profitable companies. However, the real private sector does not have such power. In fact, if the real private sector is tempted to buy these companies from the government, it would be forced to change their structure in order to make a profit. This is only natural

But let’s get back to the main topic, why do workers’ movements in Iran not bear fruit and are easily suppressed or diverted? It seems that the main reason is the lack of independent, genuine and professional workers’ organizations, including unions and syndicates, in Iran. There is also a significant legal barrier in this regard, and with the current structure of labor laws in Iran, the possibility of forming such organizations does not exist at all.

In the labor law of Iran, the creation of multiple labor organizations has been anticipated. In Article 130 of the labor law, the establishment of “Islamic labor associations” is foreseen: “In order to promote and spread Islamic culture and defend the achievements of the Islamic Revolution and in accordance with Article 26 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, workers in production, industrial, agricultural, service, and trade units can establish Islamic associations.”

In Article 131 of the Labor Law, the establishment of “trade unions” is provided for. In Article 132, “Housing Cooperatives”, in Article 133, “Labor (Distribution) Cooperatives”, in Article 134, “Retired Workers and Managers Associations in Counties and Provinces”, and in Article 135, “Coordination Councils of Islamic Labor Councils in Provinces and the Supreme Coordination Council of Islamic Labor Councils in the whole country” are foreseen. Outside of these cases, no permission has been granted for the establishment of any labor organization. In the executive regulations for the establishment of these organizations, representatives of the government, judiciary, municipality, etc. have been included to the extent that workers are in the minority. Article 138, which is the final blow, states: “The Supreme Leader can appoint a representative in any of the mentioned organizations if it is deemed beneficial.” Usually, in the past four decades, the Supreme Leader has considered

In fact, it should be said that due to the lack of independent labor unions in the country, labor movements in Iran will not have much impact and without these unions, the situation of workers will not improve.