Monday, January 4, 2010

Iran workers participation necessary for victory

From In Defense of Marxism.

Iran: The active participation of workers is necessary for final victory
Open letter to Iranian workers from Maziar Razi of the Iranian Revolutionary Marxists' Tendency
by Maziar Razi / Sunday, 03 January 2010

Honourable workers of Iran,

Today we have entered a new stage of mass activities against the threats and intimidation of the capitalist government. You have experienced the threats and suppression of the past three decades more than any other social layer. There is no social force in Iran today that has experienced the economic, psychological and moral attacks meted out by the despotic capitalist government as such as you have.[...]

Three decades ago, based on your own organisation and strength, you overthrew one of the biggest allies of US imperialism - the Shah’s regime. The strikes of workers in the big industries and factories like oil, gas, petrochemicals, steel, copper and so on, had a decisive role in overthrowing the Shah. [...] Within a few weeks you organised the biggest workers’ councils and battered down the whole apparatus of the Shah’s repressive state. [...]

It is necessary to form clandestine strike committees for general co-ordination. By co-ordinating together these committees can organise the day and time of factory strikes, and stop work together in various parts of Iran and put forward workers’ demands. You have had very significant experiences. These experiences must be used. A few years ago there were the experiences of the Baresh factory in Esfahan and Kashmir factory, and last year the protests of the workers of the Haft Tapeh factory, Kurdistan textiles and Iran Khodro factories, and so on, all of these can be put to use. [...]

Your actions will show the ways and means of anti-government struggles to the youth. In the presence of a workers’ leadership, the youth will quickly break with the reformists and move towards more radical demands. Action by you, the workers, can today bring about a different future to the present movement. Your active presence in the organisation of a general strike with the aim of defending yourself and supporting the democratic rights of millions of Iranian people is the most important action that is on the Iranian workers’ agenda today.

Victory and strength to you!
1 January 2010

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