In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful
All praise is due to God, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and greetings be upon our Master Muhammad, and upon his pure Progeny, especially the one remaining with God on earth
You are very welcome. I am very happy to find another opportunity – after, two, three years – to meet you representatives of workers and to speak to you up close.
The purpose of holding this annual meeting with workers is to appreciate the value of workers, express our gratitude and attach significance to the essence of work. The latter may even be more important than the former. In our country, the value of work is not clear to the masses of the people the way it should.
Labor is a value in Islam. I will tell you that in Islam, there is the same outlook towards workers and this is different from anywhere else in the world. According to the statistics that they gave to me, in our society, the number of people who seek work is fewer than that of other countries. Why? A person who seeks work and does not find it has a legitimate excuse, but Islam fights the tendency that some people have to avoid work. Islam insists that individuals should work hard. As well as ensuring the course of life in society – well, if there is no work, the course of life will not function properly in society – this will be an asset to workers themselves. This is because work gives them a sense of identity. A person who does not seek out work and who is not willing to work does not have a sense of identity. Therefore, I wish to thank our dear workers and kiss your hands in the fashion of the Holy Prophet of Islam and I also wish to highlight the value of work in society and to clarify that work is a value in Islam.
This must be repeatedly mentioned and there should be an endeavor to create a culture in the country so much so that we will be able to say that, for instance, the number of the people who are employed and who seek employment is large considering the population of the country. We must be able to witness this in the future. This must be in the agenda of the officials in charge of work including the Ministry of Labor. The statements that Mr. Minister made were very good statements. He delivered a good report. You must pursue the decisions that you made so that they will be implemented, God willing. I have written down a point about the issue of increasing the skill of workers, which is really and significantly important. There must be certain centers for increasing the skill of workers which is a vital issue for work and workers in the country.
Well, the viewpoint of Islam towards workers is based on gratitude and it is different from the viewpoint of capitalism and that of demolished communist systems. The viewpoint of the capitalist systems towards workers is based on interest and exploitation. Workers are a tool for ensuring their wealth. This is the viewpoint of capitalism and what is interesting is that they do not even hide it. If you look at economy books, you will reach the same conclusion. In the eye of capitalism, workers are a tool and instrument. This tool must be exploited in order for the owner of capital to ensure their wealth. This is the outlook. Even if they give a concession to workers, the goal is to encourage them to continue the flow of capital and to avoid discouraging and enraging them. This is the point of view of capitalism.
The viewpoint of communist systems was also based on hollow slogans. Of course, they would refer to their system as a system for the working class. I do not know if you have read history books or not. The Russia of the Stalin or the Khrushchev era – these are the figures who were in power during my youth when I used to study and we were witness up close to their circumstances – would refer to their system as a working-class system, but their chiefs lived the life of ancient kings. There was no sign of supporting laborers. Pressure was on the entire society and the working class. If you look at their own books, you can see the same thing. In the books written by them, whether biographies or artistic books, novels and the like, this is completely visible. Their defense of workers and their outlook on workers was a hollow slogan. They would chant the slogan that their system is one for the working class.
In Islam, neither the former nor the latter exists. The viewpoint is based on gratitude and value for work and workers. The event of kissing the hands of a worker by the Holy Prophet, as pointed out by Mr. Minister, refers to this. That is, when the Holy Prophet saw that that man was a worker, he bent down and kissed his hands.
There is a narration in which a youth was walking past the Holy Prophet. He was a good man and the Holy Prophet liked him. Apparently, he called him and asked him two questions: “Are you married?” The young man replied, “No.” and the Holy Prophet then asked him, “What do you do?” He answered, “I am jobless.” The Holy Prophet said afterwards, “He became less in my estimation.” This is the issue of work. The Holy Prophet said, “He became less in my estimation.” Regarding the youth whose behavior and moves the Holy Prophet had liked, he said, “He became less in my estimation” because he was not looking for a job. This is the position of Islam towards work. It looks at it as a human value and it holds it in high regard. Well, these statements were about our viewpoint on work, workers and this meeting with you dear ones.
As for workers, well, I have spoken at length about this. I have spoken many times over the course of all these years about workers and their advantages. However, it will be good to repeat one, two points about workers since they are important. Our workers – in other words, post-revolutionary workers, before the Revolution, there were different circumstances – have shown until now that their nationalist motives in all arenas are brilliant and outstanding. What does it mean when I say “in all arenas”? It means in the military, economic and political arenas.
In the military arena, the visible and readily accessible scene is the Sacred Defense Era. We have 14,000 worker-martyrs. Fourteen thousand! Of course, I do not know the total number of workers who went to the frontlines. They may have been ten times as much. What is certain is that laborers went and participated. However, the participation of a worker is different from such and such a basiji youth because most workers have a spouse, children and family. When they leave them, join the frontlines and put their lives at risk, this is different from the participation of a youth who does not have a spouse, children and other such attachments. This was their role in the military arena. Today too, if a military issue arises, the society of workers will definitely fill the front ranks.
As for the economic arena, this has been the policy of arrogance since the beginning of the Revolution, but it has become much clearer in the last 10, 15 years. Their policy was to stop the production of the country working. This was the policy of the enemy. The purpose of imposing sanctions and the like was to knock out the production of the country. When production is knocked out, the country becomes poor and needy and it will look at this and that for help. The important and ultimate goal of exerting economic pressures was to paralyze production. However, our workers stood in the frontlines and did not let this happen.
If you witness that the products of the country increased in certain years, this signifies that our workers stood firm in the economic frontlines. Of course, I have not forgotten about entrepreneurs. It is not the case that we do not give them their due rights – I will explain this later – but those who provided the main pillar for this structure were workers. This is another point, which was about the economic role of workers.
As for the political arena, from the first days of the Revolution, efforts were made to provoke workers. I myself was witness to this up close. A factory had become the center for their protests. This happened in the days leading to the victory of the Revolution – the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21nd of Bahman. They asked for me and at that time, I was very busy and I had many other obligations to fulfil, but I went anyway. I went and stayed in that factory for many days. Of course, I would go home at nights, but I would return the next morning. I saw up close what they were doing. There were speeches to provoke the workers. They organized a demonstration on the third or fourth day of the Revolution – the 25th or 26th of Bahman – and they even marched towards Imam’s house. Labor provocations began since those days and they have continued until today. Today too, there are efforts to provoke workers.
Their goal was to use the working class and society as an emblem and sign of popular protests, but the society of workers put them back in their place and stood up against them, preventing them from achieving their goal. They stood by the side of the Revolution and the Islamic Republic.
Of course, there have been cases where workers had legitimate protests. I follow up matters and I know that sometimes, the workers who got together conducted legitimate protests. For example, the administration transfers the ownership of a factory to a person and instead of managing the affairs of the factory, that person sells the tools, fires the workers and decides to use the land for building a hotel. Well, in such cases, workers go out and protest. However, even in such protests too, workers have always separated themselves from the enemy. In other words, they did not let the enemy take advantage of their legitimate protests. These matters are important. They are very important. How could one thank these well-informed, insightful and committed group of people?
Well, these form parts of the virtues of our workers. Of course, I have discussed these matters many times before, but it was necessary to repeat them so that both you dear workers and the masses of the people know what is happening in our society. The working class have certain problems and I will mention them later on. I hope that by God’s favor and grace, with the policies of the new administration, these problems will be eliminated gradually, but they have certain problems anyway. Despite these problems, they have stood by the side of Islam, the Revolution and the Islamic Republic in military, economic and political arenas.
Regarding workers’ issues, there are three fundamental matters on the basis of which planning should be done. One is to prepare the ground for creating job opportunities in the country. In the present time, we need to increase job opportunities. There is the possibility to do so in the country. All the experts and people who are familiar with the issues of the country confirm that there is the possibility in the country to increase job opportunities so much so that the rate of unemployment will drop considerably compared to the present time. This is an important issue: preparing the ground for creating and increasing job opportunities.
The second issue is to coordinate the relationship between work and capital. There must be a reasonable and correct relationship. I will explain each briefly.
The third issue is to ensure job security. I have stressed job security several times in this same meeting with workers and in this same Hussainiyyah. Today too, I wish to raise two, three points in this regard.
Regarding job opportunities, officials can try to increase job opportunities. A little bit of investment is necessary. The involvement of the private sector is necessary as well, but the main necessity is executive management. In other words, the administration should enter the field as a competent manager and consider all these cases.
And the requirement for that is to have complete statistical knowledge. They must know where capacities lie, what job opportunities exist in these capacities and how many jobs are necessary and to whom they should be given. They must identity job seekers, link them to those centers and revive job opportunities.
One of the things that can revive job opportunities is to develop knowledge-based companies, which is part of the slogan of the year. The quality of knowledge-based companies is that they eliminate the unemployment of graduates. When we look at unemployment figures, the number of unemployed graduates is higher than all other groups of people. Well, these youth have gone through a lot of trouble to study and the government has spent money on this so that they reach this point, but they will graduate without any job. Sometimes, in the popular reports that we receive, we see that for example, they visit a family on a certain occasion – for instance, the birth of a baby or other various occasions – and one sees that the father of that family holds a Master’s degree in such and such a field, but what does he do for a living? He works as a taxi driver! Well, this is a form of unemployment. He has studied such and such a field and he must be able to use it. Knowledge-based companies will fill this gap.
Some people question the idea by saying, “You speak about knowledge-based companies, but when they become knowledge-based, they will have little need for manpower.” No, this could be developed in a way that they create employment. Therefore, I wish to repeat, as I have done so before, that knowledge-based companies must expand. Of course, they must be knowledge-based in the true sense of the word.
As for the adjustment of the relationship between workers and employers or workers and entrepreneurs or work and capital – however you describe it – first of all, we must know that workers and entrepreneurs are the two wings of a flight. Workers without entrepreneurs will not able to move work forward and entrepreneurs without worker will not succeed either. These are two definite needs that must receive due attention. One side is work and workers’ skill and another side is capital, management, science, technology and the like. Each of these can create value. That is, these raw materials will have a value-added. We should see what the share of each is. They should look and determine their fair share. This requires working, thinking and studying.
In the policies on the economy of resistance, I specified a clause to this. One clause concerns this matter. Well, workers must be able to lead an honorable life. Today, our workers have numerous economic problems. Of course, an important part of these problems results from general problems in the economy of the country. We have many economic problems which have piled up. These problems have piled on top of one another over the years and they have not been resolved. These problems exist for everyone including workers. Part of workers’ problems results from this and another part is related to the laws regarding work, workers’ issues, policies and planning. These problems must be pursued too, God willing.
We need thinking and acumen, determination and diligence, patience and the refusal to try ill-advised measures. All these must be put together so that this fair distribution and share which I spoke about will materialize and so that we can achieve this goal.
The honorable minister mentioned that the basis of their planning is justice. This is good. It is very good. You should use this as the basis. One must look at issues with a fair-minded view so that every section and division receive their just shares. Officials must be active in these areas. The same is true of promotional activists who should create a culture. Workers themselves must be active as well.
Regarding job security, well, when we discuss job security, the point that is mostly raised is about temporary contracts and such issues: the contracts that are signed between workers and employers and that lead to job insecurity. This point is repeatedly discussed and it is correct. One of the matters that must be remedied and for which fair rules should be passed is this. A fair rule means that workers should feel assured, and that employers and entrepreneurs will be able to exercise discipline in the work environment. In other words, things should not pan out in a way that there will be abject indiscipline. No, both sides must be able to benefit from it.
However, what I want to say is that job insecurity does not only result from such temporary contracts. There are other factors in play as well that I do not want to enter into. I only want to highlight one factor and that is the fact that when national production is harmed, work and workers’ employment will be harmed too. This is certain. National production is very important. When I place so much emphasis on national production and national products, this is the reason.
For instance, let us consider unnecessary imports. Notice that at present, we have tens of billions worth of imports. Many of them are necessary. They are raw materials or the necessary pieces and components for factories. There is nothing wrong with them. No one is opposed to the essence of imports, but we are opposed to uncontrolled imports and also to smuggling. Of course, smuggling requires a separate discussion. What does uncontrolled imports mean? It means importing a commodity that is produced inside the country with a good quality. This is a dagger into the heart of the country’s production. This is what I am saying. The reason why I insist on preventing uncontrolled imports is this.
According to the figures that I have received, every billion dollars of unnecessary imports equals the elimination of 100,000 job opportunities. These are the figures given to me by experts and well-informed persons. Inside the country, we produce shoes, attire, household appliances and other such things. Of course, car manufacturers should not take advantage of these statements because they are not in a very good condition in terms of quality. If we import the goods that are produced inside the country – the goods that have good quality – and if instead of strengthening and promoting national products, we import their foreign counterparts, we must know that one billion dollars worth of such imports equals the cancellation of 100,000 job opportunities.
When you go shopping and you prefer foreign products to the domestic ones, this means that you are working to the advantage of foreign workers and harming local workers. That is why I insist and stress that we must definitely prevent uncontrolled imports. This falls on officials and what is related to the people is to go look for domestic products. They must be committed to this.
I wish to reiterate that an important share of the domestic market belongs to the administration. To put it otherwise, the administration is the biggest domestic buyer. The biggest buyer and the biggest customer for products is the administration. The administration must try not to consume any foreign products. This, in itself, is a very important factor in strengthening domestic products. I have frequently stressed the purchase of national manufactures. Whenever I highlight this, some people line up in order to reject this with various reasons. Now, this is sometimes done by foreign colonialist bullhorns or unfortunately, by some people inside the country. As soon as I speak of domestic products, some people begin to criticize and find faults with it. This was another issue.
An important point is about the responsibilities of workers. Notice that our workers too have heavy responsibilities in this regard. An important duty of laborers is to do neat work. I have mentioned this hadith many times – it is apparently narrated by the Holy Prophet (God’s greetings be upon him and his household) or by one of the Imams (greetings be upon them): “God’s mercy be upon those who do good and solid work.” One of the duties of workers is to do good work.
One is to finish their work in an exquisite manner. This is very important. An important matter in our country is the issue of packaging. I have underlined this issue many times before. When I was president, they sent us a gift from a country which I do not want to mention. What was it? Dates. They sent us dates as a gift. I took the same package of dates to the government meeting and put it there, saying, “This is an example of carrying cumin to Kerman [carrying coals to Newcastle]. We have the best and largest amounts of dates in our country, but they have sent us dates as a gift, but look at the packaging. We put our dates inside ugly boxes and package them, but they have sent us dates in a beautiful package with the same branches on which the dates grow and they have put it in nice plastic and have sent them for us. Learn from them!” These are the duties of workers. Of course, they are shared by workers and managers. It is their responsibility to do this. This was another point.
The last point that I want to discuss is about our educational system. Despite all the emphases that have been given, our educational system continues to be more of a theoretical system than a practical one. This is mostly the case. Of course, there are some educational workshops here and there, but they do not exist everywhere and at all times. Of course, the theoretical training of students is a necessity and they must acquire knowledge, but it is not enough. As well as theoretical work, they must learn to do practical work as well.
Many years ago, I brought up the idea of cooperation between universities and industries with a president and finally, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology was established. Its main task is to link up universities with industries. That is, students must be in contact with industries during their studies. This will be good for both industries – as new science and innovations flows in them – and for universities because resources will be directed towards them. This will bring them funds. This must be done. Besides, training and developing skills, as pointed out by one of the gentlemen at the meeting, this is a very good and essential task. This must be followed up. Workers’ skills should be increased. They must be able to do their job in a skillful, innovative and tasteful manner and they must raise quality. When quality goes up, then the value of work will naturally increase in the eyes of customers and those who are interested and need workers’ products.
I wish to thank workers from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate their efforts and I ask God the Exalted to bestow success on them. I hope that their resistance in the face of all sorts of provocations on the part of the enemy continues as it has continued until today. I hope that workers’ associations move forward in the economic, political and educational areas on a daily basis, God willing. I hope that government managers and officials implement their plans, as promised before, and that everyone will help the administration. Today, the projects that the administration has undertaken in the economic area are important projects which require everyone’s help. All organizations, branches and the masses of the people should help the administration produce the desired results, God willing.
Greetings be upon you and God’s mercy and blessings
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