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The Founding Manifesto of the
Labour Foundation
At the present time, the Iranian working
class, which constitutes the majority
of the population, is
deprived of its most basic rights. In particular, women
workers face their deprived economic and social status and
dual exploitation under the worst conditions. Millions of
working class children are most brutally exploited whilst they
should enjoy a happy and prosperous life with the full support
of academic and educational facilities to foster their
talents. In general, the working class in Iran is exploited
under conditions where it faces mass unemployment,
destitution, lack of adequate medical and educational
facilities, draconian working conditions and meagre wages.
By resorting
to suppression, incarceration, forcible exiles, torture,
execution and mass dismissal of a large number of labour
activists in the industry and trades, the Islamic Republic of
Iran has dissolved their genuine councils and closed any
independent labour organisation. This onslaught has been so
severe that the working class in Iran does not have now the
most rudimentary rights needed to set up its class and
independent organisations. Under such conditions, a number of
government high officials who have been directly involved in
the crushing, suppression and deprivation of workers during
the recent years, have now declared the formation of a number
of organisations in the name of their very victims. Such a
gesture takes place at a time when the majority of workers in
trades and industry are not even allowed to form their
independent trade unions.
In view of
this situation, and in order to support the struggle of
workers in Iran and to foster organisation and class
consciousness among workers, we the undersigned have founded
the Labour Foundation and invite all labour activists,
thinkers, researchers, writers, artists and anyone who shares
our objectives, to join us in our pursuit to achieve them.
In fulfilling
this ambition, the Labour Foundation will undertake various
activities to promote these objectives which include among
others the following:
·
Setting up a labour support fund
·
Dissemination of labour literature by means of translation and
publication of books and journals
·
Setting up a research centre to promote research projects on
labour issues
·
Setting up an international organisation to support the rights
and struggles of workers in
Iran
·
Collection and publication of vocal, written and pictorial
history of
the labour movement, and the introduction and
remembrance of working class leaders
·
Holding lectures, seminars and conferences on labour issues
December 26, 1999
Signatories:
1. Mercedeh
Akhlaghi, member of
the Greater Tehran Seamstress Union and
labour activist at Starlight
Knitting Factory.
2.
Morteza
Afshari, labour activist and founding member of the Printers
Union
3.
Ali Pichgah, representative of the
Laboratory Workers Council, the United
Council (comprising the councils of
administrative, safety and security,
fireman, laboratory and engineering workers), Council of
Tehran Refinery Workers and the All-Iran Council of Oil
Workers.
4.
Mohammad Sadegh Khoram,
secretary of Workers Syndicate, representative of the Council
of Instrument Workers and the General Council of Shiraz
Refinery Workers, labour activist at Hoechst
Pharmaceutical Plant.
5.
Yaddullah Khosroshahi,
representative and secretary of Workers Syndicate,
representative of the Council of Instrument Workers, Repair
Workers Council (council of engineering workers), Council of
Tehran Refinery Workers and All-Iran Council of Oil Workers.
6.
Bizhan Khozestani,
representative of Syndicate of Contractual Workers at Abadan
and labour activist in the oil industry.
7. Hassan
Rahimi, labour activist in Kurdistan and the founding member
of the Union of Contractual and Seasonal Workers in Sannadaj.
8. Mansour
Soltani, representative of workers at Indamin Factory.
9. Albert
Sohrabian, the first founding member of Shoemakers Union and a
long-standing labour activist.
10.
Bizhan Shafih, representative of
the Council of Workers at Development and Renovation
Enterprise in Tehran
11.
Mohammad Shams, labour activist
in the printing industry and the Iran National Auto Plant.
12.
Assodullah Sadeghi, secretary of
the Syndicate of Mechanical Workers in Tehran and a labour
activist at Iran Yassa Auto Industry.
13.
Mohammad Safavi, labour activist
at Isfahan Power Plant, Iran-Japan Petrochemical Plant, and at
Mammko and Jarahi districts (currently representative of
bakery workers in Canada and member of the Human Rights
Committee of the British Columbia Labour Federation and Food
Industry Union)
14.
Majid Farjam, representative of
the Council of Lorestan Barsion Workers (Khoram Abad Thread
and Nylon Industry).
15.
Rasoul Foghehazadeh,
representative of the Council of Instrument Workers at Tehran
Refinery and labour activist in the oil industry.
16.
Faramarz Seifi, representative
of the Council of Workers at Greater Tehran Bus Services.
17.
Reza Karimi, labour activist at
the Syndicate of Road Machinery Mechanical Workers..
18.
Siamak Kolhar, member of the
General Council of Workers at Karaj Roadways.
19.
Jamshid Lanjani, representative
of the Council of Workers at Ammonia Unit of Razi
Petrochemical Plant (Bandar Shahpour) and activist of the
Central Council.
20.
Jalal Majidi, member of the
Central Council of Workers at Development Organisation.
21.
Majid Mohammadi, organiser and
labour activist in Tehran.
22.
Hamid Noshadi, labour activist
at Iran Tobacco Industry and Brick Factories in Gherchak and
Varamin Districts.
23.
Ai Vahedi, member of the
Electricity Workers Council of East Tehran.
Correspondence addresses:
In Sweden:
Bonyadekar,
Box 2007,
136 02 Haninge, Sweden
In England:
BM Box 4240,
London WC1N
3XX, England
In Canada:
Bonyad,
Afshari, PO Box 54232, 1562 Lonsdale
Av.,
N. Van. BC, V7M
CL5, Canada
Email
address:
[email protected]
[email protected]
Contact
telephone numbers:
England:
0044-78030 92327
Sweden:
0046-703 403 999
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