This camisade will not be left unanswered!

 Following the strike and mass demonstrations of thousands of workers of the Ahvaz Steel Industry, the Islamic Republic's security forces have raided the homes and apprehended a number of steel workers.

 The ‘crime' of these workers is their demand for the payment of their due wages; their demand for an end to non-payment of their wages for the past three months. Their crime is that they do not want to go back to their homes empty-handed, without receiving their due wages; and that they do not accept being forced to destitution.

 The protest actions of the Ahwaz steel workers are taking place at a time when there are daily protests of workers throughout the country, from Haft Tapeh to Agh Darreh. Moreover, the main theme of all these protests is the clear demand of workers in Iran for an end to the poverty and misery that the Islamic Republic is subjecting them to. They are demanding the full payment of all due wages.

 Workers and freedom seeking people in Iran!

 The Islamic Republic did not dare to display its aggression during the public rallies of the steel workers. Instead, the regime’s thugs and security forces, raided the homes of the steel workers overnight and arrested them individually and in isolation. This is the same tactic that the regime has employed in response to all workers’ protests, namely in Haft Tapeh, petrochemicals, in Azarshahr, Hepco, auto-industries, etc – a cowardly tactic that must be defeated.

 Undoubtedly, the only way to put an end to such cowardly acts of arrests of workers at night falls, when they are on their own at their homes, is to stand united as a class. It is only such a strong response of workers, and the social force of our class in the workplaces, key industries, and in our local neighbourhoods that will ensure the Islamic Republic is forced to abandon this tactic.

 The Islamic Republic has always responded with sacking, apprehending, torturing and executing workers to create an atmosphere of terror when workers have protested. The recent wave of raiding of homes and arresting workers is yet another attempt by the regime to spread terror and limit the growing protest actions.

 We must do all that is possible to ensure the regime forces cannot just raid our local neighbourhoods and take workers away. Our neighbourhoods must become no-go zones for the regime thugs. It is incumbent on all workers at workplaces, and in our communities to safeguard protesting workers.

 The spectre of organised workers, the power of the working class at a time when the foundations of this repressive system have been shaken by the recent wave of protests in January, is looming over the society; a power that could cause trembles in the very last clusters of this system. The Islamic Republic clearly sees the emergence of a force that has risen, and is drawing attention across the whole country.

 The wide-scale arrests of the Ahvaz steel workers by the Islamic Republic only shows the depth of the growing fear of regime in losing control of the situation; and it shows a definite change in the balance of power between the workers and the Islamic Republic. The rulers in Iran are far too aware that this is a major battle, and their tactic against workers is nothing but playing with the fire! This is a clear confrontation, a class struggle, and one that should be welcomed by the united force of workers as a class.

 Down with the Islamic Republic!

Long live equality, freedom, workers’ rule!

 Worker-communist Party of Iran - Hekmatist (official line)

March 4, 2018