The May Day Statement of Fadaian (aghaliyat) - May Day is a Day of solidarity, when workers around the world join in protest

The May Day Statement of Fadaian (aghaliyat):

May Day is a Day of solidarity, when workers around the world join in protest

Comrades, the first of May is the symbol of unity and power of united workers around the world. In the first of May, we stand as one body to show our unity against exploitation, oppression, around the world. We stand together calling for socialism- for a world free of poverty, unemployment, hunger, discrimination and inequality.

Comrades, the working people around the world have common interests and goals. Every day under capitalism, workers are systemically exploited. The worth of the world’s workers is unsurmountable, yet the capitalists undermine this fact and provide for themselves lives of luxury while those who labor daily are forgotten. This parasitic method of existence will continue so long as it is supported, and the world will continue to be polarized: the wealth and comfort on one side, and the unemployed and poverty-stricken on the other. The time of indifference ends now, the time for not caring is to be moved aside; now is the time to usher a new age of movement and action against a common enemy.

Conscious workers during the 19th century saw and rebelled against the diseased capitalist system. United, they created the First and Second Internationals. During the Second International, early on in its meetings, there was a decision to unify workers around the world for rallies on May 1st 1890, and since then this yearly action is echoed around the world.

The Iranian workers, despite the brutal oppression of the Iranian regime, also stand with the army of international works to express their commonality on May 1st. The Iranian dictatorial regime creates and imposes difficult laws and expectations of working people in Iran, laws and expectations which deprive Iranian people of their basic human rights. Situations for workers in Iran today are worse than they have ever been in Iranian history. Neo-liberal policies beat down Iranian citizens and create paramount levels of stress and resentment. Current worker wages barely cover half of the daily needs for a single family in Iran. The prices of daily items are the same as they would be in European countries, but the minimum wage of Iranian workers is one tenth of the minimum wage in Europe.

In the last three years, thousands of workers lost their jobs due to these neo-liberal policies and inflation. The children of these working families join the 8 million unemployed. Because of Rouhani’s cabinet, there is no prospect of any improvement next year, and rather there is a downward trend in the level prosperity for Iranian families. The structural system of capitalism in Iran is collapsing. The current economic crises and high inflation rates are so steep, that they are record in Iranian history. Growth rates are at %-6 and inflation rates are at 60%; these statistics show a clear economic crisis. Since Ahmadinejad’s cabinet, these numbers have grown worse and led to empty Treasuries and the failure of the Iranian currency, the rial.

Since May 2013, workers in Iran have held strikes against capitalism in many places including Ahwaz and Zagros Steel, Safa Pipe Rolling, Bandar Abbas Aluminum, Tabriz Tractors, Iran Khodro, Razi, Esfahan, Fajr, Bsarban, polyacryle, Iran and Alborz Tire, Loshan Cement, Abik and Stahbanat, Sadrea Shipyard, Simin Textile Isfahan, Semnan Royal Tile, Haft Tapeh sugar-cane factory, Chadormalu Mining, and Tehran Bus. These workers strike and show common grievances regarding better wages, unpaid wages, unfair dismissal, and the release of wrongly arrested workers.

The reactionary Iran’s regime continually arrests and tortures activists in order to control the labour movement from expanding. A group of working activists who attempted to establish an independent worker organization last decade have been imprisoned now for several years. The Iranian Islamic Regime not only tries to stop the worker’s uprising movement, but crushes attempts to raise awareness with a brutal hand. Despite these brutalities, however, the workers struggle in the last year is a symbol of the growing trend of consciousness among working people. Workers of some companies stage protests against the imprisonment of comrades from other locations. This shows us that the bond between workers is not one which can be easily dismantled.

Comrades, when workers have no political freedom, when workers cannot establish their independent organizations, when workers cannot even protest or strike when they treated unfairly, we realize that the continuation of such a system will lead us only downwards into further oppression. The only way out is to dismantle the capitalism system, and establish a soviet state of workers and toilers- this is the first step in rising from oppression and establishing socialism.

It is now the workers’ task to save people from the crises the capitalist system has created. It is the task of the workers to be at the frontline of this struggle to overthrow oppressive regimes like the Islamic Regime of Iran, and to implement the people’s demands. It is the responsibility of the working class to now realize that their responsibility lies not only with saving themselves, but with helping rescue the entire Iranian population from exploitation.

Conscious frontline workers, activists and supporters, we must make more efforts to organize and mobilize the vast majority of workers to participate and celebrate May 1st 2014. Let us mobilize on May Day with slogans calling for wage increases, freedom of establishment of independent workers organization, and the end to oppression and exploitation. Let us show are unity.

The organization of Fadaian (aghaliyat) celebrates May Day with all the world’s workers.

Long live international workers solidarity

Down with the capitalist system

Long live Freedom- Long live Socialism

Overthrow the Islamic Republic Regime- Long live the establishment of a Soviet State

The organization of the Fadaian (aghaliyat)

May 2014

Work - bread - freedom - Soviet State

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