Against a background of growing protests August saw Iran gripped by a nurses strike that swept against the country.
These strikes started after public protests by nurses and medical staff began on August 5 following the death of a nurse in Fars province three days earlier.
Due to the devastating situation of nurses in Iran, the strike spread very quickly. Nurses were on strike in the following cities: Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Rasht (Gilan Province), Dehdasht, Marivan, Ahvaz (Khuzestan Province), Mashhad, Hamadan, Qazvin, Yasuj, Arak, Shiraz, Mamasani, Yazd, Jahrom, Abadeh, Fasa, and Zanjan.
August 21 saw nurses and medical staff hold rallies outside the Ministry of Health building in Tehran, and also in the cities of Marivan, Ahvaz, and Isfahan. Now there have been reports of the arrest of nurses in Tehran. It seems that the strike had a ‘rolling’ character in an attempt to avoid repression and now there are reports that it has been suspended for a week with the intention of restarting if the government has not granted their demands.
This strike is directed against low wages and also extremely poor working conditions shown, for example, in compulsory overtime in health centres that are either directly or indirectly linked to the theocratic regime and organisations that are linked to it. One factor that contributes to the increasing workload of the nurses is that capitalist owners, who are closely associated with the theocratic regime, are allowed to do what they want. Given that the hospitals pay wages, not the Health ministry, this leads to situation that the nurses have to take other, second, jobs in addition to their jobs at the health centres, in order to survive at all. The result is that nurses in Iran are being driven into poverty. But this movement is also reflecting the anger of the masses in Iran at the continuing general decline in living standards, in many areas recently bread prices have risen by 25%. One slogan, reflecting Iran’s continuing economic crisis, heard on the nurses’ protests is “Inflation in dollars, our salaries in rials”.
There is no doubt that this strike is definitely LEGITIMATE!
Mohammad Sharifi Moghadam, secretary general of the Nurses’ House, which organises many nurses, said “This strike is unprecedented. We have had rallies and sit-ins for months, but such a prolonged strike has never happened before”.
Very quickly the nurses won broad backing. A wide range of workers and other organisations came out openly in their support, a significant development that shows the willingness to stand up to the regime despite its continued repression, including large numbers being executed, reportedly 87 in July alone.
A partial list of nurses’ supporters includes the Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations; Teachers’ Association of Fars Province; Teachers’ Association of Bushehr Province; Independent Workers’ Telegram Channel of Haft Tappeh; Union of Truck Drivers and Drivers’ Associations Across Iran; Kermanshah Telecommunications and National Retirees; Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company; Iranian Retirees’ Council; Neda of Iranian Women; Kermanshah Electrical and Metal Workers’ Association; North Khorasan Teachers’ Trade Association and the Kermanshah Social Security Retirees.
These have not been just statements of general support. The Union of Truck Drivers and Drivers’ Associations wrote on their website that “today, it is our turn to rise in support of the dedicated nurses,”. Already this union has organised many work stoppages over the last year, demanding higher pay for drivers and protesting fuel shortages. Other unions’ statements have also called for solidarity with the nurses.
Both the speed at which the nurses’ action developed, along with its national scope and the solidarity it has won, shows how the organised sections of the Iranian working class are acting in an increasingly coordinated and better prepared manner. This picture is reinforced by the recent protests held by oil and gas industry workers and staff in cities like Aghajari, Lavan, and Siri to demand changes to their work contracts and better working conditions. Meanwhile pensioners from the telecommunications, steel and the public sectors continue to hold regular public protests in dozens of cities to demand better pensions. Clearly the fact that the newly elected ‘reformist’ president’s government includes many representatives of the ‘hard-line’ faction has led to more drawing the conclusion that change will only be won through action.
This growing radicalisation was reflected in some of the slogans reportedly being chanted on the nurses’ protests: “Only in the streets can we secure our rights”. “All we’ve heard are promises, we’ve seen no results”, “Enough promises, our tables are empty,” “From Shiraz to Mashhad, strike, strike”, “We don’t want promises, we want our rights”, “To change tomorrow, we must unite today,” and “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, we are all together”.
To strengthen this development further workers’ structures, semi-underground if necessary, but which are completely independent of the theocratic regime are needed both inside hospitals and in other workplaces.
Right now such bodies inside the hospitals would democratically discuss and organise the strategy and tactics of the strikes. These structures need to be networked at city, regional and national level so that this strike be as unified as possible and involve more hospitals. In addition to activity within the hospitals, we believe that these democratic structures can help organising socially visible solidarity with the strike and, for example, raising awareness about it and thus helping to spread the strike to other hospitals. Clearly a victory for the nurses would be an example to other workers of what struggle can achieve.
Strengthening the links between the growing number of genuine workers’ organisations in Iran, whether they be legal, semi-legal or underground is necessary. A broad body could help organise solidarity between different sections and also provide a forum where policy could be discussed. It is important that left and Marxist forces in Iran not only act in support of the nurses but also put forward proposals for the next steps of the workers’ movement while also arguing the case for a socialist alternative to the regime.
It is also necessary to organize an international solidarity campaign so that this strike, and others, cannot be crushed by the repressive organs of the theocratic regime like so many others. The pressure on the theocratic regime must be massively increased by workers’ organisations internationally, while also making clear that they reject the hypocritical position of the imperialists who condemn repression in Iran while supporting the equally repressive regimes in Saudi Arabia etc.
Solidarity with the Iranian nurses!
Long live international solidarity!
Messages to the nurses can be sent via Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations kashowra1401@gmail.com and the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company vsyndica@gail.com
