March 2, 2000 New Anti-Worker Bill in Iran Dear sister/brother: As you have already been informed, on February 28, 2000, thousands of workers in Tehran and other major cities in Iran demonstrated against a new anti-worker bill passed by the Majles (parliament) on Sunday 27, 2000.  The new law exempts workshops with a workforce of five or less from provisions stipulated in the Labour Law for a period of six years. This will affect approximately 3 million workers who are employed in thousands of small workshops throughout the country. It will allow employers to lay off workers, downsize workplaces, reduce wages, increase child labour and violate all workplace health and safety standards, etc. The Islamic Republic’s current labour law does not allow many internationally recognized labour rights such as the right to organize free and independent workers’ organizations, the right to strike, prohibition of child labour and a comprehensive social security system for workers. Now, this new bill is approved to severely worsen the living conditions of millions of working people in Iran.  If implemented, this new law will also provide favourable conditions for owners of larger plants and workplaces to attack workers’ rights in all sectors. All these are responsive to “economic readjustment” policies of the international Monetary Fund and global and national corporations. It is intended to provide a huge pool of unemployed workers and cheap labour, having to compete with each other and work under unbearable working conditions. All parliamentary factions of the Islamic Republic of Iran are one way or another, supporting this pro free market, anti-worker direction. Iran’s workers have no other choice but to reject this new bill. They need your support and international solidarity to fight back this offensive by the ruling class and their oppressive government in Iran. I, therefore, ask you to take urgent actions - including sending protest letters to the Islamic Republic’s authorities condemning the new anti-worker bill and their anti-worker policies - in support of workers’ rights and demands in Iran. Thank you for your support which, as always, shows that working class international solidarity knows no borders.  Please contact me at the address  below if you have any questions or require more information. Thank you. In solidarity, Farid Partovi Co-ordinator  PS: Enclosed, please find a copy of a sample Protest Letter (MS Word file is also attached).  Please also send a copy of your protest letter to the International Alliance at the address below.  Sample Letter in Condemnation of the New Anti-Worker Bill in Iran Mohammad Khatami The Presidency Palestine Avenue,  Azarbaijan Intersection Tehran, Iran Fax: 98 21 674790  On February 28, 2000, thousands of workers in Tehran and other major cities in Iran demonstrated against a new anti-worker bill passed by the Majles (parliament) on Sunday 27, 2000.  The new law exempts workshops with a workforce of five or less from provisions stipulated in the Labour Law for a period of six years. This will affect approximately 3 million workers who are employed in thousands of small workshops throughout Iran. It will allow employers to lay off workers, downsize workplaces, reduce wages, increase child labour and violate all workplace health and safety standards, etc. The Islamic Republic’s current labour law does not allow many internationally recognized labour rights such as the right to organize free and independent workers’ organizations, the right to strike, prohibition of child labour and a comprehensive social security system for workers. Now, this new bill will severely worsen the living conditions of millions of working people in Iran.  If implemented, this new law will also provide favourable conditions for owners of larger plants and workplaces to attack workers’ rights in all sectors. We condemn this total violation of workers= rights, support workers’ protest against this attack on their rights and living conditions and demand the immediate rejection of the new anti-worker law approved by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Parliament.   Please send a copy of your protest letters to: Hossein Adeli, the Ambassador of Iran 245 Metcalfe, Ottawa K2P 2K2 Fax: (613) 232-5712