Khomeini and the clergy completely outmanoeuvred the left. But it need not have been that way. In his second and concluding article on the role of oil workers in the 1979 revolution, Peyman Jafari stresses the complex nature of ideology and class consciousness On January 12 1979, two weeks after the Oil Strikes Coordinating Committee… Continue reading Centrality of class independence
Tag: trade unions
The Imam, the strikers and the black, black oil
There are rich lessons for today in the experiences of the oil strikes of 1978. In the first of two articles Peyman Jafari charts the incredibly difficult struggle for organisation, hegemony and strategy “We are melting away,” lamented the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, on December 26 1978 in a phone tap of a conversation with… Continue reading The Imam, the strikers and the black, black oil
Statement No. 6 of the Council of Organizing the Protests of Oil Pact Workers
A few important points – Given the fact that our strike is spreading fast and workers from other sections are joining this strike, and the support and solidarity we have received, we are in a good position to win important parts of our demands. With our widespread strikes so far, there is heavy pressure on… Continue reading Statement No. 6 of the Council of Organizing the Protests of Oil Pact Workers
Solidarity messages to Iranian oil workers
Oil and gas workers in Iran on one-day and other short-term contracts have gone on strike. They are demanding the reinstatement of sacked colleagues, full-time employment, better pay, more time off to see their families, improved living conditions and an end to the special economic zones and the system of subcontracting. The strike was initiated… Continue reading Solidarity messages to Iranian oil workers
Mass strikes by oil workers in Iran
Contract workers in Iranian oil and gas projects and petrochemical plants have gone on strike in Iran demanding better wages, an end to systematic non-payment of wages, better living conditions and an end to the dominance of unscrupulous contractors. The strike was initiated by workers employed by subcontracting companies, who impose short-term contracts on workers… Continue reading Mass strikes by oil workers in Iran
The strike continues until our demands are met
Second statement of the Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers – Iran We, the contract oil workers in refineries, petrochemical and power plants, went on strike on June 20, as we had announced. Tens of thousands of our colleagues are currently on strike, and our colleagues who are permanent employees in the oil… Continue reading The strike continues until our demands are met
May Day statement in support of workers in Iran
Over the last year workers in Iran have struggled on several fronts. The subsidy cuts coupled with the crisis in world capitalism are driving living standards down for the majority of Iranians. Basic food stuffs are rising in price at a phenomenal rate, with bread rising a massive 25% and unsubsidised fuel increasing 7 fold.… Continue reading May Day statement in support of workers in Iran