On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, a group of Australian labor associations and unions issued a statement expressing their support for Iranian workers. These organizations, which include some of Australia’s largest trade unions and associations, declared their solidarity with Iranian workers in their struggle to achieve their rights.
The associations and unions that signed the statement are as follows:
The Independent Education Union of Australia (IEUA) – Representing over 75,000 members, the IEUA is one of Australia’s largest unions in the education sector, advocating for teachers, support staff, and administrators across non-governmental institutions.
- The Edmund Rice Centre (ERC) – A human rights organization with UN consultative status, ERC has a long-standing mission to advance justice for Indigenous communities, asylum seekers, and populations affected by climate change.
- The Rev. Bill Crews Foundation – A leading Sydney-based charity founded in 1989 that supports homeless and disadvantaged populations with the help of over 1,500 volunteers, including 300 full-time.
- Crosslink Christian Network (CLCN) – A global Christian network of around 130 churches in Australia and 20–30 in other countries, founded in 1997.
The statement calls on the International Labour Organization (ILO) to blacklist the Iranian regime for its “systematic and ongoing violations of labor rights,” despite Iran being a signatory to key international labor conventions.
“Iranian workers have endured both monarchist and theocratic repression,” the statement reads. “They are denied the right to organize, forced to work under exploitative conditions, and paid poverty wages. These are not just labor violations—they are acts of structural violence.”
The Australian groups urge increased international pressure, including demands for:
- Recognition of independent labor unions
- Living wages indexed to the actual cost of living
- Enforceable workplace safety standards
They also call on labor unions and rights groups worldwide to stand with Iranian workers, particularly as those who organize strikes or demand rights often face arrest, torture, or execution under Iran’s judiciary.
In the statement, they declared that Iranian workers are widely employed under temporary and precarious contracts, with 94% of them lacking any form of job security.
They are deprived of the right to form independent labor unions.
For over forty-five years, they have faced minimum wages that are significantly lower than the actual cost of living.
They work in unsafe conditions, with nearly 40 workers losing their lives each week due to workplace accidents.
Iranian workers also face severe gender discrimination, particularly against female workers.
In their statement, they called on the International Labour Organization (ILO) to blacklist the Iranian regime for its systematic violations of labor rights and to increase international pressure to guarantee workers’ rights, including the right to form unions, receive fair wages, and work in safe conditions.
On March 16, 2025, Iranian regime’s labor minister announced the minimum wage for the new year at approximately 100 million rials (about $122).
The state-run newspaper Jahan-e Sanat reports: “The basic household living basket costs around 350 million rials (approximately $427) or more, and this figure continues to rise daily.”
Living conditions for workers are so dire that, according to the regime-aligned newspaper Arman-e Emrooz on October 11, 2023: “Some workers do not even consume meat more than three times a year.”
