May 1, the Day of International Solidarity of the Working Class

Solidarity Committees with Iranian Workers Movement Abroad

For several years we have published articles from Alternative Workers News-Iran and we do so again – Editors

One hundred and thirty years ago, the Workers ‘International, also known as the Second International, to commemorate the memory of the those fallen American workers, who were killed in clashes with the Chicago police, and several of them, who were hanged, after a glorious mass demonstration for an eight hour working day, this day, 1st of May- May Day, was called the day of declaration, of the solidarity of the workers of all countries, with each other. This day is the day of workers’ global show of strength, and the commemoration of the efforts of the world’s working class, and also a reminder of the bloodshed that has reddened the flag of the workers’ class struggle.

This year, once more, we welcome May Day! We are welcoming this day, in a world, where the working class and other toilers, despite the addition to the enduring the unbearable pressure of injustice, caused by the continued survival of capitalism and its neoliberal policies of globalization, they have also been attacked by the Corona virus. Last year was a year of intensified workers’ struggles against capitalist aggressions: from Haft Tappeh, Hepco, Foulad of Ahwaz, Iranian teachers and retirees to the Chilean, Argentinean, Ecuadorian, Lebanese, Iraqi, Indian, Italian, German and French workers and toilers.

Everywhere, we have been faced with mass struggles against the attacks by capitalists and the supporting capitalist government’s regimes to lower living standards, working conditions and workers’ achievements, in different forms and scope, but with a similar purpose and content.

For many years, such a simultaneous and wide-spread eruption of workers’ and toilers’ struggle in countries, with totally different structural, and geographical conditions, but in contrast to the capitalist class and various capitalist governments, with similar policies and theme in their own countries. Last year was the year for the announcing of mutual solidarity among the militant fighters who were involved in it! From yellow vests and radical militant French unions, to the Iranian socialist students! Yes, over the past year, the solidarity struggle of the workers and anti-capitalist militants, has demonstrated for several days, like May Day, in the context of the struggle of various countries. Long live this solidarity and cooperation, in the practice of the struggle of the workers and toilers of the world!

The capitalist system in its main countries had shown serious signs of entering a new cycle of crisis in the past year. The last three months of last year, industrial production in Germany, Japan and France, China and U.S. had declined, especially in the automotive industry. The export’s motor of countries such as Germany and France had faced an obvious sharp decline. In last September, the U.S Federal Reserve was forced to intervene and three times within a week, to inject liquidity into the ‘’financial market between banks’’ something that has not been seen since the 2007 crisis. The economies of the big capitalist countries were going towards crisis indeed. But with the outbreak of the Corona virus epidemic, not only with one strike, the world’s countries production and economy, faced with severe sudden depression, rather it more severely exposed the catastrophes, due to the continuation of the disgraceful life of capitalism. The death toll due to this disease in all countries, where capitalist policies have withdrawn a significant portion of post Second World War achievements, demonstrated the extreme weakness of these governments in defending their citizens.

The withdrawal of a significant part of social security, Medicare, public health, and protecting unemployed, meaning the so called ‘’state welfare’’, that was created by the powerful workers ‘movement and liberation’s movement, after the second world war, and by the inevitable retreat of capitalist to the labor camp, but under the blows of capitalist, these policies showed its strength.

Lack of equal access to sanitary facilities, medical and healthcare, and pharmaceutical needs, not only among different countries, but also at the level of each country, further exposed the class differences in living standards due to the criminal capitalist system.

The parasitic predatory actions of these policies have become further exposed to all workers and wage earners in various countries of the world. Mercenary writers on payroll, who support these policies, are now today in a defending position and the workers of the world and the proponents of the move towards socialism, have gained a unique opportunity for theoretical and ideological aggression, in order to systematically expose these mercenary defenders of capitalist system. In particular, the outbreak of this epidemic, which is indeed actually the third generation of industrial virus, caused by adverse environmental conditions, due to the expansion of capitalist relations to all corners of the world, from the Amazon forests and Kenya to the Wuhan region of China and the destruction of the environment, with it clearly shows that insatiable thirst of capital for profit and accumulation of even more capital in each period of production and distribution. This is no longer at the level of one or a few countries, but it has inflicted irreparable damage on nature in the universe at large.

Global warming, industrial viruses, Ebola, extreme air pollution, and morality with them, all and all demonstrate that the continuation of capitalism, has not only brought with itself inequality and barbarism, but has fundamentally endangered the survival of the human race on earth.

This year, workers and wage earners of the world with turn the 1st May-May Day into challenging the capitalist system, even though the Corona virus will deprive them of physical gatherings.

Our motto is that the time has arrived when we have to establish another world! A world free of class differences, which is in harmony with nature! A world based on smart programming, intelligent planning for production and reconstruction of semi ruined nature, and not based on unbridled production, in search of nature’s destructive benefits and for the creation of the most severe class and social inequalities!

Both, Stagnation, recession and inflation in Iran, have been intensified, and are the direct result of neoliberal policies of all government, from Rafsanjani to Rohani, military and nuclear adventures, the staggering cost of repressive apparatus and parasitic institutions of Islamic regime, and as a result of unilateral U.S sanction, which are in violation of international treaties, and therefore the living condition have become increasingly difficult for Iranian people, especially for workers and wage earners and the huge atmy of unemployed. Both, High prices and unemployment are brought by neoliberal policies. ‘’The government of ‘’Imam Zaman’’ (shiet believe in doomsday, when the 12th Imam will rise and punishes guilty and saves innocent people) has promised paradise, but it has created a real hell on earth.

The bloody repression of the brilliant workers ‘movement and the poor people of the cities and villages in November of last year, as ‘’only possible policy’’ with the support of all factions of the government, in the context of ongoing and expansion of striking movement-worker’s protest, in defending their standard of living, opposing the closures of production and service units, and struggle against privatizations… once more demonstrated the huge gap between the Iranian people and the ruling regime.

The social base of the ruling regime has never been so small, and in practice, effectively is limited to the repressive and ideological mercenaries and wage earners of the state apparatus, that has lead the regime’s behaviour towards a policy of Maximum violence.

Despite all of the repressions and crackdowns, the workers’ and toilers’ protest and strikers movement in Iran last year, has continued, with greater power, in a country where the right to strike and the formation of independent workers organizations are forbidden.

Project of slogans of work, bread, freedom, housing, better life and in some cases the explicit demands of workers’ control, and council’s control, has shown a new step towards the growth awareness of the workers.

Workers ‘activists, have demonstrated, that in the face of a weak and incompetent ruling class, they are not frightened of mentioning the project of workers’ control, and taking over the matters into their own hands. They have proven, that the Iranian workers movement is step by step, becoming more than ever aware of its real and determinative power and it is moving forward. Once again, the need of creating independent workers organization is a must.

The establishment of neighborhood and help relief committees, by the youth and the workers in countering the Corona virus, and the repeated revelation of the incompetency of all factions of the ruling regime, that don’t have other methods than looting and pillage, embezzlement and repression, it is the reminiscent of the initiatives of anti-monarchy struggle, and shows that tackling these kinds of cooperation and councils has deep root in the Iranian working and toiling class.

All of this is promising the real possibility of establishing a new society, free of capitalism and the exploitive classes, free of women and minority oppression, built over the ruins of the Islamic Republic.

The parallel growth of the protesting demands of the workers, and the street protesting uprising of the last year, has raised the task of combining the two together more intensely. The need to create broader and more diverse independent workers’ organizations, employment, neighborhood and representing the society’s public demands, which has a strong refection in the uprising of last November of 2019, once again show itself as a worker’s alternative. The heroic efforts of the women and men active in workers’ movement and other social movements can be observed in this pathway. And this is happening during the systematic repression of these activists, by the ongoing issuance of prison sentences, and their imprisonment!

‘’Solidarity Committees with Iranian Workers-abroad’’, on this day of international solidarity of the workers, once again greet these lion hearted women and men, who have worked in organizing and struggling in the most difficult conditions. And once more, declare their practical solidarity with this struggle.

Long live May 1st, the international solidarity day of the workers of all countries!

Down with the capitalist Islamic Republic of Iran!

Long live socialism!

Solidarity Committees with Iranian Workers-abroad

May 2020

[email protected]

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