The following resolution was unanimously adopted at the
first congress of the WPI-Hekmatist
held on October 21-22, 2006
Working Class and the Political Power
The current endemic political and economic crisis; the widespread
opposition against the Islamic Republic and the prospect of its downfall or
disintegration have placed the question of the political future of Iran
before the working class. This is an historic opportunity for the working
class to lead the movements for equality, for freedom and for a modern
society in a bid to overthrow the Islamic Republic and thus win the trust
and confidence of the disenchanted masses and the freedom seeking sections
of the society for a socialist revolution.
The Worker-communist Party of Iran – Hekmatist calls on the workers,
members and activists of the Party and all the labour leaders and communist
activists to do their utmost to remove all the barriers preventing the
emergence of the working class as a force capable of attempting at the
political power and rising up to lead the entire population in their
struggle to shake off the menace of the Islamic Republic and create a free,
equal and humane society and lay the foundation of a socialist society.
Since:
- The unprecedented destitution, mass unemployment and widespread
redundancies have instilled divisions between employed and unemployed
workers, indigence and migrant workers and have turned job security into the
main preoccupation of the workers. This situation has created a sense of
wariness amongst the working class deterring them from raising radical
demands to improve the living standard of all workers and intervene in the
political events in the country.
- Despite the fact that the current workers’ disputes are part and parcel
of the general opposition to the regime, nevertheless these disputes are
limited in their scope and confined to sectors threatened with redundancies
and closures or aimed at settling outstanding unpaid wages and have not
enjoyed the active support of employed workers. Furthermore these disputes
are disjointed and can not provide a serious platform for initiating an
effective campaign to improve the working conditions let alone a basis for a
united class action.
- Despite the increasing use of General Assemblies as a means of
mobilisation of workers, General Assemblies have not yet been established as
a routine and permanent form of self-organisation amongst the workers and
the workers still lack their real organisations and the organs of direct
intervention.
- The Islamic Republic has adopted a policy of shunning away from direct
confrontation with the workers and has resorted to a policy of time wasting
and wearying out the workers and making full use of its security forces to
intimidate, arrest and expel labour leaders and the communist activists.
Furthermore the regime through its official Islamic councils in work places
and the Labour House [an official national institution for arbitration and
supposedly promotion of workers, rights - KOMONIST] is constantly engaged in
undermining the demands and the grievances that have the potential of
spreading to other centres and sectors and tries to contain them.
- And more importantly, since under the above conditions and in the
absence of a political and organisational cohesion amongst the labour
activists and labour leaders around a communist platform, the dominant
tendency within the working class in the present situation remains on one
hand one of total hatred towards the regime and on the other hand a state of
wait and see and the lack of appetite for participation in the political
affairs and organised intervention in the daily protest movements in the
country.
Therefore:
1- The first congress of the Worker-communist Party of Iran – Hekmatist
draws the attention of the workers to the current crucial historical
conditions and the need for an organised and united presence in the
political arena; intervening in all social issues and raising their demands
for improving the living conditions of all workers and take the initiative
and lead the struggles against destitution, the autocratic rule,
suppression, gender discrimination and for the overthrow of the Islamic
Republic. The WPI- Hekmatist believes that a rare historic opportunity has
been presented to the working class to seize the political power and
implement freedom, equality and the workers’ rule in Iran. The workers must
immediately assume their role as the leader of the current mass movements
aimed overthrowing the Islamic Regime.
2- The WPI-Hekmatist invites all the militant workers to join its ranks.
The WPI-Hekmatist is the pole bearer of the class unity and is the advocate
of the independent presence of the working class in the current epoch making
times in Iran.
3- The WPI-H once again re-emphasises the importance of embarking on an
extensive and comprehensive initiative to organise General Assemblies in all
workplaces and enterprises. In the absence of established and effective
workers’ councils; in the absence of any powerful and established mass
organisations, the General Assemblies i.e. the planned and conscious
gathering of the workers for collective decision making and providing
leadership in disputes is the key to the advancement of workers economic
demands and the mass protest movements. The General Assemblies are the most
effective, reliable and continuous means of organising mass actions in times
of oppression.
4- The Party calls on all communist activists to pursue the followings as
priorities:
• Fight against destitutions – workers unity against unemployment
Unemployment is the main cause of poverty amongst the working class.
Unemployment is not just a problem for the unemployed workers. It is a
constant threat hanging over the heads of employed workers and their
families as well. Workers unity against unemployment is an effective measure
in containing the power of the capitalists over the lives of the workers
which could be done through raising the simple and straight forward demand
for sufficient unemployment benefit for all individuals over the age of 16.
Furthermore a consorted effort by the employed workers and specially those
in the key industries for increase in the real level of wages and
unemployment benefit and also attempts to unite the ranks of employed and
unemployed workers, indigenous and migrant workers, and the unconditional
defence of the citizenship rights of all migrant workers as well as active
support for workers facing redundancies and those engaged in fight to secure
the unpaid wages are the main elements of this call.
• Movement for organising General Assemblies
It is of vital importance that, in order to turn the General Assemblies (GA)
into the direct organs of workers’ intervention, they are held regularly and
routinely; decision making processes take place in the assemblies and the
workers’ representatives are elected and answerable to the assemblies. It is
also imperative that the activists of the GA movement and in particular the
elected representatives of each work place establish links with other GA s
in a district or amongst workers in the same area of trade and pave the way
for forging solidarity and unity and instigating wider trade and regional
actions.
• Struggle to disband the Islamic labour councils
Make attempts to stop the Islamic workers councils and the Labour House from
interfering in labour disputes. Combating the claims of these state
apparatuses to be representing the workers, both at local level and
internationally. Oppose the setting up of these organs and boycott any
“elections” to these organs; actively demand the dissolution of the Islamic
councils and other Islamic associations as agents of the government and
actively endeavour to expel them from workplaces
• Direct intervention in political conflicts
The workers’ struggles for economic demands in capitalist societies take on
an inherently political nature. In Iran, in the current political
environment, the economic struggles of the workers become more crucial and
prominent. Every dispute over pay and conditions will escalate into a battle
over the survival of the Islamic regime. This is not sufficient. Under the
current circumstances the workers need to consciously get involve in the
political conflicts. Demands such as the freedom of all political prisoners;
freedom to strike and to organise; freedom of association and organisation;
freedom of expression and the media; equality between women and men; banning
veil and the separation of religion from the state should all be
incorporated into workers demands and struggles. The political disputes and
the women, students and other urban unrests are all arenas that the workers
must actively intervene and they offer the working class an ample
opportunity to elevate themselves to become the leader of the oppressed and
all those striving for freedom.
• Active intervention to prevent the disintegration and the Iraqization
of the society
The disintegration of the fabric of social life and the Iraqization of the
society as a result of the conflicts amongst various factions of the
bourgeoisie is increasingly becoming a frightening prospect. Different
factions of the bourgeoisie from the US to various Islamic gangs inside and
outside the Islamic Republic and tribal and nationalists forces of Persian,
Kurds, Turks, Baloochis and Arabs not only have no trouble of creating a
situation worse than Iraq but seek their own interest in creating such a
situation. Fanning the religious and ethnic sentiments amongst the workers
is an essential element of their strategy. The main force capable of putting
up a barrier to this tragedy is the working class. The WPI-Hekmatist calls
on all labour leaders and the communist activists to expose the nationalist
and tribal forces and stop the propagation of national and religious
identities amongst the workers. At the same time while fighting against the
delusion towards the US and the right wing political groups and they need to
redouble their efforts to topple the Islamic Republic. The labour leaders
and the communist activists must prepare the working class to exercise their
organised and direct power in work places and the neighbourhoods and thus
contain and suppress those forces bent on bringing about chaos and carnage.
A precondition of avoiding such a scenario unfolding is the organised power
of the working class.
• The Expansion of the Party organisation in work places and
neighbourhoods
The key to carry out all the above is the existence of a disciplined and
organised ranks of the best and most active labour leaders and the communist
activists on a national level. The WPI-Hekmatist calls on all radical and
militant workers to join the ranks of the Party and build local branches and
embark on mass recruitment in neighbourhoods and work places and strengthen
their political and organisational links with the Party. This is a Party
committed to fighting for “Freedom, Equality and Workers’ Rule” and lay the
foundation of a new society.
|