Editors' Note: In the last issue, we reported on the publication of Avvay-e Kar (Voice of Labor), a new labor bulletin published by leading Iranian workers in Tehran. In August, the second issue of
Avvay-e Kar appeared. This issue of Labor Links includes three articles that are either based on or
extracted from articles from this issue of Avvay-e Kar. The first two articles appear together-they deal with recent government attempts to revise labor law in the interest of employers, and with
workers' resistance to these attempts. The first article--extracted from an essay by Maryam Moehseni--provides important background information. Mohseni is a leading worker who also
writes on issues related to women workers. The second article-- extracted from a report by Ali Kazemi--is about a labor protest rally against attempts to take away existing legal job protection
for workers-even though these are minimal. The third article organizes news items to show workers' resistance to plant closings, layoffs and bosses' refusal to pay wages. The next issue of Labor Links will appear in January 2003. Best wishes for workers of all countries.

Workers Oppose Government's Move to Revise Labor Law: The Aim is to Make Firings Easier for Employers Article 27 of the labor law has recently become a focal point for the workers in Iran. It states: "When a worker fails to perform his assigned duties or undermines the disciplinary rules of the workplace after written warning issued to him, the employer may -if the Islamic Shora of Labor agrees, annul the work contract after paying the worker an amount equal to his last month's wages
for each year of service plus any other unpaid wages and benefits owed to him." The following two articles are translations of excerpts from articles published in Avvay-e Kar (Voice of Labor) Number 2, published in Tehran in August 2002. A new issue of Kar Mozd (Wages) edited by Javad Mossavi Khozestani is published in Tehran.

* * *
By Maryam Mohseni
Recently, the government and the Islamic Consultative Parliament (Majles) have moved to revise the labor law. In this, they enjoy the support of right-wing economic interests, pro-capitalist economists and the media. Their message is that the present labor law is an obstacle to investment and
employment. However, the real intent of this campaign is to do away with any aspects of the labor law that offer minimum protection to workers. In recent years, Article 27, which places
legal limits on employers' ability to fire workers, has been particularly singled out. The current campaign aims to annul this Article in order to give employers a free hand to fire workers at will.
Needless to say, even with the legal protection offered by Article 27, many workers are currently fired. Their goal is to give employers in Iran an advantage, compared to employers elsewhere in the world. Not only does such unconditional right to fire workers not exist in most other countries,
workers who lose their jobs often enjoy some social protection. In Iran, however, social security for workers is so sparse that a fired worker and his/her family are doomed to certain poverty. For 12 years after the 1979 revolution, there was no labor law in Iran, despite much struggle by the working people to codify one. Finally in November 1991, the Council for Protection of the Interests of the Islamic Republic conceded to the present labor law. However, the right-wing economic interests continued their opposition to any legal protection for workers. Gradually, the "totalitarian faction"
(political forces who deny any rights outside of those approved by the Supreme Leader) and the bazaar capitalists in the fifth Majles who control a lot of the wealth of the nation, and later the "pro-democracy faction" (also known as the Reformists, forces who have gathered around President
Khatami) in the current, sixth Majles moved to revise the labor law in favor of the bosses. There is no doubt that the labor law should be revised in light of international standards for protection of workers; currently, it does not grant to workers fundamental rights such as the right to strike and the right to form independent trade unions. But the current campaign aims to revise the labor law in the
interest of employers and it must be resisted. How can one call for removing of legal protection for workers when last year there were 150,000 "industrial accidents," 12,000 of them fatal? (Kar and Kargar April 2002)

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By Ali Kazemi
On the morning of July 16, a workday, some 20,000 workers, representing workplaces from across Iran, converged in front of the Ministry of Labor to protest the proposed changes to the labor
law. This was a spirited rally. Some workers had brought drums and horns. Others carried metal pots and pans that they beat with eating utensils while chanting "We say we are hungry; they change the labor law!"--a reference to rampant poverty of working people in Iran. It is widely considered that as
many as 60% of Iranians live below the poverty line. Another theme of the rally was justice, when workers chanted, "The The long-term crisis of Iran's capitalist economy continues to ruin workers'
lives and generate workers' resistance.

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In this brief survey, we use June and July news items taken from the August 2002 issue of Avvay-e Kar (Voice of Labor) to indicate the concrete forms the capitalist crisis takes, measures the bosses adopt, and the forms of workers' resistance. government of Ali's justice? So much injustice!" Ali is the first Shi'iat Imam who is held up as a symbol of justice. Another popular slogan was a demand
for the right to strike: "To strike is our right!" There were also slogans against U.S. intervention in the Middle East. A few Majles representatives who support the Workers' House, the organizer of the event, spoke to the gathering. However, a majority of Majles representatives support the pre-
capitalist revisions to the labor law. By mid-morning, the organizers called the rally off. A small group of workers were attempting to enter the Ministry of Labor when anti-riot police attacked them.
Several workers were injured and some were arrested. In solidarity with those arrested or injured workers in several factories stopped their shift an hour early on that day.

**********
Plant Closings:
Plant closures are common in Iran. While reasons for plant closures vary, the impact on the lives of
working class families is always ruinous. While most industries are affected, two industries that are particularly hit are textiles and carpet weaving (machine and handicraft production).

In June, Akbatan Carpet of Ghazvin (machine produced) laid off all its 278 workers and closed down permanently. This factory was established before the 1979 revolution. Interviews with several workers gave a sense of the anxiety and deep insecurity that workers feel. They said, "Contract and temporary work has left us with no sleep. Every day on the job, we fear the ghost of layoff and the demon of termination of our contract. Or we fear that production will shut down altogether. Deep class divisions and so much injustice make us cry. How long are we to work tirelessly, just to end up unable to meet our basic needs and feed our families?"

One of the oldest factories in town, the Semnan Rope Factory was bought by the municipality and closed down. Workers protested the demolishing of the factory's walls. Many of these workers had not been paid their wages for several months.

The largest animal feed producing factory in Shushtar was closed in June. Fifty of the 300 hand-woven carpet cooperatives in the province of Lorestan were shut down, resulting in the layoff of 3,000 workers. The main reason for this was the refusal of banks to extend credit on easier terms to the cooperatives. The workers expressed frustration that no one from the Ministry of Labor either addressed the rally or even came to  listen to their demands. Economic Crisis Threatens Workers' Lives, Begets Resistance.

The management of Gherghereh-ye Ziba, a major thread and spindle factory in Tehran,
announced that it will lay off 400 of its 630 workers. The workers staged a rally on the factory grounds to protest this decision. Pars Arin, the first and largest road and construction equipment
factory, closed down in June after four years of crisis. Almost all 400 employees of this factory
were already laid off or accepted buy off packages. Workers suspect that the factory will now
be sold to the private sector and will reopen with a new "temporary" work force.

Two hundred and twenty employees of the Medical Development Co., a division of the Ministry of Treatment and Medical Education, have been slated for layoff. The employees believe that the management intends to replace them with short-term contract workers.

Simakooh Industries in Hamedan, which produces household appliances, claims to be on the verge of bankruptcy because of insufficient bank credit. It employees 360 workers.

Oromiheh Tractor Factory suddenly closed it doors and laid off its 120 workers in July.

Hamedan Glass Factory closed down in July, laying off 300 workers.

Back Wages:
This atmosphere has made it possible for bosses to claim financial distress and even bankruptcy, and demand sacrifice from workers. It has become common to see protests by workers to obtain several months of back pay and benefits.

Layoffs:
Actual and threatened plant closings make it easier for bosses to lay off workers, especially in the absence of an independent fighting organization of the working class.


In June, laid off "permanent" workers of Savin Carpet of Mazandaran province gathered in front of the Labor Ministry offices to demand the jobs they lost 38 months ago. The management has refused to take the workers back, even though the Administrative Supreme Justice has ruled in their favor.

A group of 108, mostly female, workers of the Asia Wool Weaving Factory in Kerman gathered in front of the Ministry of Labor offices to demand their back wages and benefits not paid for an
entire year.

Workers from Mashhad Food Products gathered in front of the Ministry of Labor offices to protest not being paid wages for the last three months.

In protest, over 10,000 laid off municipal workers of Tehran peddled commodities in front of the offices of the city council for a week in June. These workers have staged rallies and protests at
this location for the past two years now.

Economy and Wealth,
protesting a lack of action to pay them their back wages despite an order from President Khatami. In this letter they ask: "How would you manage if Your Excellency, your friends, and your subordinates were not paid your salaries?"

One hundred and fifty workers from the Pars Koovar Sugar Refinery have signed a petition demanding two months of unpaid wages and the appointment of a "learned and able director"
for the factory.

Workers of the Naishapoor slaughterhouse have not been paid any wages or benefits since the director decided last March to close it down.

Acknowledgements:

Labor Links is published through voluntary labor of many working people. In addition to those who have written for Labor Links, we would like to thank particularly the following contributors.
Manuel Aguilar, Jaime González and Benjamín Juárez, a group of Mexico socialists, have generously volunteered to translate Labor Links into Spanish. Farid Partovi of Public Service Employees Union of Ontario, Canada, has volunteered his time to compile our mailing list and distribute each issue of
Labor Links. Mansour Soltani of Municipal Employee Union, Stockholm, Sweden, serves as Labor
Links Webmaster. Labour Foundation, an organization of Iranian labor activists, has provided Labor Links space on its website. Bonnie Weiss of the Bay Area Paul Robeson Centennial Committee, United States, has offered her English editorial skill to ensure that Labor Links achieves its mission with
fluency and style. Thanks to all of readers who made suggestions for improvement of Labor Links.

Labor Links is published four times a year.  While the editors are responsible for accuracy of the information provided, only unsigned articles reflecting policy are the expressed views of the editors. Questions, comments, news, articles or requests to get on Labor Links' mailing list to receive
notification of new issues should be sent to: [email protected]
All issues of Labor Links are posted at: http://www.bonyadekar.com/labor.htm

Recent workers demonstration held in Tehran. The sign on the right reads: "Temporary contracts should be abolished!." Picture is from Student Movement Coordination Committee for Democracy in Iran (http://www.iran-daneshjoo.org).