To: Pampis Kyritsis, the general secretary WFTU
Members of World Federation of Trade Unions
Following the 18th WFTU Congress in Rome, we write to express our solidarity and are very pleased that international workers ‘organizations continue to emphasize the need for a collective effort to confront the intolerable conditions that capitalist governments across the globe are imposing on workers’ lives.
Today, all sections of the world working class are well aware that only organized and united struggle can oppose economic austerity and improve conditions in favour to the working people.
Unfortunately, over the past 40 years, Iranian workers have been denied their fundamental right to form their own independent organizations. You are well aware that over the years Iranian labour activists have been arrested, imprisoned or fired whenever they have attempted to form their own independent organizations or to protest against the terrible working conditions in Iran.
As we write this letter, a number of labour activists and organisers are being held in prisons across the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are being imprisoned for working to form labour organization or protest low wages, authority and casualisation of their working conditions.
It is beyond any dispute that the “Workers’ House” and the “Islamic Councils”, which are Iranian government backed, funded and affiliated have opposed formation of any independent labour organizations in order to protect the interests of the ruling class in Iran. Iranian workers’ real representatives are either in prison or being persecuted by the security forces of the Islamic government. It is part of employers’ efforts to maintain a fragmented working class as a means to maintain low wages while undermining any workplace minimum standards by encouraging temporary and zero-hour contracts in all industries in Iran. The government and its affiliated agencies such as the “Workers’ House” and the “Islamic Councils” have been working to prevent Iranian workers forming trade unions.
We write to express our regret that Mr. Alireza Mahjoub, Secretary of the Iranian government affiliated “Workers’ House”, was present in 18th WFTU Congress as a representative of Iranian workers, and it is even more regrettable that he has allowed to stand elected Vice President of the WFTU.
During the past 40 years, Alireza Mahjoub as the secretary general of the Workers’ House, an institution affiliated with the Iranian government has played a very prominent role in formulating and advocating policies for the government while actively preventing formation of any independent trade unions in Iran.
You will recall that on May 10, 2005 members of the Workers’ House along with the armed security forces and led by the spokesperson of the Workers ‘House, raided the offices of the independent Tehran Bus Company Union, ransacked the union office, saluted and arrested the union members and attempted to set fire to the union office
In addition, Alireza Mahjoub has been one of the top advisers to government minsters in charge of implementation of neoliberal economic policies for the past 30 years.
He has been an adviser to Prime Minister Mousavi since 1981 and to President Rafsanjani, the main architect of Iran’s neoliberal economy, since 1989.
Alireza Mahjoub, as a member of the Islamic Parliament, which does not flow democratic elections, was a member of the Labor and Social Security Commission from 1996 to 2020, he has played a key role in changes in labour laws in Favor of employers including drafting and adoption of privatization laws.
For the past 40 years Alireza Mahjoub, as a leader of a government backed agency has worked to to prevent emergence of any independent labour organization in Iran.
We, the signatories of this letter, Iranian labour activists, express our support for the approach of the new WFTU Secretary-General to counter the political and ideological influence of the dominant capitalist groupings , and are very hopeful about the future of workers’ organization, which is the main prerequisite for workers struggle to improve the condition of the global working class for a better future, however we must ask how could WFTU tolerate Mr. Mahjoub presence and election as WFTU Vice President? The very government affiliated individual who has a chequered history of anti-labour activities!
We request, that the Secretary General and WFTU members review the membership of the Workers’ House and disaffiliate any government backed agencies and set up a committee to review the representation of Iranian workers and facilitate participation of independent Iranian Trade Unions in WFTU!
Yours sincerely
Campaign in Support Iranian Workers (CSIW)
Cooperation Council with the Workers› Alternative in Iran
Solidarity Committees with Iranian Workers Movement (AWNI)
