[Militant, No 431, 10 November 1978, p 11]
About 20,000 oil workers are bringing the almighty despotic Shah to his knees. The workers have crippled the world’s second biggest exporter of crude oil by a stroke in which political demands for democratic rights have come to the fore. They have cut the average daily production of crude oil – the backbone of the Iranian economy without which the dictatorship will collapse – from 5.8m barrels to 1.5m barrels and refuse to allow the oil to flow until martial law is ended. The release of political prisoners and the return of exiles are also demanded by the workers. Even the much-vaunted armed forces, upon which the Shah has lavished enormous wealth to arm them with the most up-to-date equipment, are impotent. In the first three days of the army being sent into the oil installations an estimated $185m worth of oil production was lost. Soldiers cannot do the work of skilled oil workers. That is the enormous social weight of the small industrial working class in Iranian society today! Already the Shah has been forced to bid a humiliating retreat by announcing the imminent release of „the 600 remaining“ political prisoners, and more demonstrators continue to be arrested or shot.
Iran paralysed by strikes
„Strikes, once almost unheard of, have brought government business to a standstill. Transport, health, postal and communications services have been disrupted. Key sectors of the economy, including oil, copper and steel, are suffering.“ This was the alarmed voice of big business (‚Financial Times‘ 13 October) confirming the strength of the present opposition to the Shah’s regime.
Under tremendous pressure, the Shah has been forced into granting concessions to the working class, including public sector workers who have obtained rises of 7,500 rials (£52) a month, improvements in salary scales, doubling of fringe benefits and a 20% rise for workers in unhealthy employment.
Concessions to one section, however, have only led to others taking action for their own demands. Teachers, bank workers and the less industrial sections are often leading the opposition.
Reports daily tell of more strikers: 9,500 employees from other bank chains, a car assembly plant and a large iron works yesterday joined workers seeking rises averaging 50%.( ‚Financial Times‘ 18th October) .
Any attempts by the ruling class to take back concession have provoked renewed action. Recent moves to reimpose censorship met a national press strike, and resulted two days later in a return to work with no censorship.
The Shah is also facing massive repeated political strikes against his regime. The strike on 16th October against the killing of 3,000 demonstrators on 8th September, for example, had such support that „it was observed virtually everywhere in the country“. (‚The Times‘ 17th October).
The ruling class is split. Iran’s Minister of Health recently resigned in opposition to the awards of pay demanded by the workers. Others realise that further attempts at repression of demonstrations or strikes could result in even bigger upheavals.
The capitalist class is biding time. If the Iranian working class is unprepared, then they will attempt to snatch back the concessions already won, and more. The reforms already obtained can only be won at the expense of the profits of the ruling class and the Shah’s massive spending on arms (aimed at the working class).
The fight for the removal of the Shah is a fight for the right to organise, for democratic rights, and for an end to miserable working conditions. These can only be achieved by the lranian workers wrestling control of the Iranian economy from the hands of the Iranian and International monopolies.
The British labour movement must ensure full support for this struggle. Solidarity action must include the blacking by the trade unions of all supplies of British arms and tanks to Iran – and the immediate ending of SAVAK (secret police) activities in the UK.
A socialist Iran would be beacon to the workers in the Middle East – and throughout the world.
By David Todd
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