The Condition of The Working Class In Iran
Cosroe Chaqueri
European Committee
That Iran has yet to know democracy needs hardly any mention; that she has suffered the most destructive blows at the hands of the ferocious dictatorship1 of the Pahlavis ever since the coup d'état of 1921 is also too well-known; that the opposition in Iran has fought this regime with its meagre means so as to bring about changes is public knowledge as well. What has, however, remained obscure is the conditions of the working masses in that country. No doubt the Left is to be blamed for that! For even at the time when it Was at the apex of its "gauchisme" — to the point of complete paralysis, — it was not as concerned with the fate of the working class as it should have been. The "gauchisme" was disruptive, not constructive ; it was blind refusal of the historical possibility to do what it had claimed. It was not at the service of the working masses; it only paid them lip-service.
As a result, no effort was ever made to know the historical conditions of the genesis and development of this class. Nor was its real struggle even studied, appraised, or used as a lesson.
.....
Contents
Le Mouvement Syndical en Perse / 7
Rapport sur les Syndicats Persans / 10
Proclamation du Premier Mai / 12
Le Mouvement Syndical en Iran / 13
La Révolte des Esclaves Coloniaux / 14
Appel aux Ouvriers de Tapis / 15
La Classe Ouvrière en Iran / 16
L'Industrie et la Situation des Ouvriers / 17
Einleitungzu den Deutschen Dokumenten / 19
Die Gewerkschaftsbewegung in Persien / 20
Hedjazi, Held der Arbeiterrevolution / 24
Des Mëthodes Mussoliniênnes / 26
Sudölarbeiter / 27
Zustand der Arbeiterschaft / 29
Der 1. Mai / 30
Aufstand Persischer Revolutionäre in Europa / 32
Brief Aus Tabriz / 35
Ein Lebensabriss der Olarbeiter des Südens I / 37
" " " " " " / 40
Die Weberei Watan / 43
Protest der Persischen Arbeiter in Moskau / 48
" " " " in Baku / 50
Der SUdöl Streik / 52
Brief aus Teheran / 55
Weberei Watan, Brief aus Isphahan / 60
Der Streik der Arbeiter Watans / 63
An die Südöl-arbeiter / 67
Brief aus Khuzistan / 68
Brief aus Khuzistan / 71
Situation Syndicale en Iran / 75
Trade Union Situation in Iran / 76
Gewerkschaftlisehe Bewegung Persiens / 77
La Situation Economique en Perse et Le Prolétariat Persan / 79
La Révolution d'Octobre et les Travailleurs de Perse / 85
Le Mouvement Syndical en Iran / 88
Le Mouvement Syndical en Iran / 95
Résolution du 4e Congrès de l'I.S.R. / 95
Contre la Terreur Blanche en Perse / 96
Le Mouvement Syndical en Perse / 97
Trade Union Mouvement in Iran / 99
Persien am 4. Profintern Kongress (Sek. Bericht , Rede Gen. Seiphys und Resolution) / 100
Massenverhaftungen und Misshandlunen in Persien / 104
Gewerkschaftliche Bewegung Persiens / 105
Greueltaten des Pahlawi-regimes in Persien / 106
World Federation of Trade Unions Trade Union Situation in Iran( 1947) / 108
ILO on Child Labour / 142
ILO (BIT): Plaintes de F.S.M. et C.G.T. / 144
BIT: Rapport au Gouvernement de l'Iran (1964) / 157
ILO: Report on The Committee on Freedom of Employers' and Workers' Organisations (1956) / 170
Iran Salary and Wage Survey / 188
Foreign Office Documents / 194
Conditions of Indian Employés of Apoc / 195
Child Labour in the Carpet-Weaving Industry / 201
The Abadan Strike / 213
Labour and Industrial Conditions in Isphahan / 223
Labour and Trade Union Movement in Persia / 226
Soviet Trade Union Delegation / 236
Tudeh Party's Message to the Labour Party Seer. / 238
S.U. Trade Union Delegation / 239
Iranian Trade Unions / 240
Soviet Trade U. Delegation Leaves Iran / 241
Tudeh Party and the Strike at Kermanshah / 242
Trud On the Visit of Soviet T.U. Deleg. to Iran / 249
Iran's Representatives at the Int. Labour Conf. / 250
Labour Conditions at AIOC in Persia / 251
Position of T.U. Organisation in Persia / 265
ILO and Labour Law in Iran / 267
Efforts to DEpose Reza Rusta / 269
WFTU Delegation's Visit to Iran / 273
WFTU Delegation's Visit to Isphahan / 278
Trud on Iranian Workers 281
What is Happening in Iran (Dolinkov) / 283
WFTU and Persecution in Iran / 287
Persian Governt. Position on WFTU / 289
Union of Oil Workers / 292
Tudeh Party and Trade Union Council / 295
Tudeh and Iranian T.U.'s / 296
The Employment of Children in the Carpet Ind. / 299
Girl's Lot in Persia 301 Songs of the Carpet / 302
Abadan( a British View) / 303
The Company's Civilising Mission / 309
Labour Legislation In Iran / 325
Labour Bill (May 1946) / 326
Labour Bil1 (March 1949) / 335
Minimum Wage (F.O. Documents) / 345
Background to Labour Law / 351
Regulation of Factory Councils / 353
Minimum Wage Regulations (Oct. 1946) / 356
Regulation Concerning the Education and Training of Workers / 359
Regulation for the Formation of Unions / 361
Règlement: Fabriques et Etabl. Indust. / 367
Labour Profit-Sharing Scheme / 378
3rd Workers' Congress Resolution / 382
Law for Expansion of Industrial Ownership / 383
On Workers' Insurance / 384
On Dismissal of Workers / 386
Régi, et Loi: Assurance Ouvrière / 389
Regulations Concerning Labour Organisations / 402
Loi du Travai1 (1959) / 413
Assurance Sociale (1960) / 427
Supplement to Social Insurance Law / 451
Law On Weekly Off-days / 452
Minimum Wage Regulation / 454
Workshop Council Regulation / 458
Social Insurance for Foreign Nationals / 462
Workers' Central Aid Fund / 464
Constitution of the Social Welfare Institution / 465
PREFACE
That Iran has yet to know democracy needs hardly any mention; that she has suffered the most destructive blows at the hands of the ferocious dictatorship1 of the Pahlavis ever since the coup d'état of 1921 is also too well-known; that the opposition in Iran has fought this regime with its meagre means so as to bring about changes is public knowledge as well. What has, however, remained obscure is the conditions of the working masses in that country. No doubt the Left is to be blamed for that! For even at the time when it Was at the apex of its "gauchisme" — to the point of complete paralysis, — it was not as concerned with the fate of the working class as it should have been. The "gauchisme" was disruptive, not constructive ; it was blind refusal of the historical possibility to do what it had claimed. It was not at the service of the working masses; it only paid them lip-service.
As a result, no effort was ever made to know the historical conditions of the genesis and development of this class. Nor was its real struggle even studied, appraised, or used as a lesson.
Today, not knowing what Yesterday was, followed the events blind foldedly into Tomorrow, and after... This is unfortunately still the case. There exists no history of the working people in Iran, in Persian or any of the foreign languages widely known in that country; in Russian, yes, with all the concerous deformations of stalinist historiography.
This publication, as modest as it is, is only an effort to put together what lay idle in archives; it does not pretend to give a view of the ensemble. It should be regarded as a step in the direction of further impartial studies. Needless to say, no one document can be taken to contain "the truth", rather the whole should lead us on to the path of approaching a general understanding of the conditions the working people of Iran lived in. The slanted opinions therein, no doubt, cannot be ours; the reprinting of the labour legislation should, in no way, imply our approval thereof; nor their veritable application in that land, where even individual partners of the medieval tyranny, despite the heavy burden of the crimes committed which they carry, are not spared.
It goes without saying that this volume, despite, its size and in spite of the rich information it contains, cannot throw light on the present conditions of working masses in Iran. Our aim has been to arouse the interest of those concerned with the labour movement around the world and to share with them this historical knowledge. As for the present, we hope to provide them— soon— with another volume. As it is, the working masses of Iran are deprived of their most elementary democratic rights; our hope is that those who can help will not refrain from doing so.
Cosroe Chaquèri
Sept. 1978
1) Except for the short period of Dr. Mossadiq's government between May 1951 and August 1953.
AcknowledgementWe would like to express our gratitude to a number of friends who have helped in the making of this documentary history of the Iranian labour movement. Their help in research, translation and typing has been indispensable. Our thanks are also due to the Public Record Office and the Archives of Auswertiges Amt (respectively London and Bonn) for having made certain documents available to us. It must also be recorded that if the production of this publication suffers from technical shortcomings, it is merely due to financial difficulties , similar to those in which the working class lives inside Iran.
C.C.
Declaration of Aims
European Committee for the Defence of Democratic Rights of Workers in IranA - To inform public opinion, especially the working masses around the world through their unions and the democratic press on the working and living conditions of the workers in Iran;
B- To mobilise public opinion support, especially that of workers' for the defence of democratic rights of workers in Iran, namely:
1- to organise their trade unions freely and without the intervention of governmental agencies or political parties whatsoever;
2- to fight freely and without any government hindrance for the establishment of their economic, political, and social status;
3- to strike for the defence and advancement of their interests ;
4- to struggle as organisations, both on local and national levels, for advanced labour legislation and the abrogation of the existing anti-labour laws;
5- to affiliate freely with international labour organisations and to participate in international gatherings without any governmental hindrance;
6- to solidarise freely with their brethren in other countries.
N.B. -This Committee is not affiliated to any political party inside or outside Iran.
Cosroe Chaqueri
The Condition of The Working Class In Iran
European Committee
The Condition of The Working
Class In Iran
(A Documentary History)
La Situation de la Classe
Laborieuse en Iran
(Une Histoire Documentaire)
Die Lage der Arbeitenden Klasse im Iran
(Eine Dokumentarische Geschichte)
Published For:
Publié Pour:
Veröffentlicht Für:
Publicata Per:
European Committee For
The Defence of Democratic Rights of Workers in Iran
Comite Europeen Pour la Defense
Des Droits Democratiques des Travailleurs en Iran
Das Europäische Komittee zur Verteidigung
Der Arbeiter im Iran
Comitato Europeo per la Difesa
Dei Diritti Democratici dei Lavoratori İraniani
Research and Preparation: Cosroe Chaqueri
© October 1978
Adresse Provisoire: C.P. 46, 50100, Florence, Italy
