Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia - Labour Activism and Democracy in Iran: New Working Paper 2013

During the last decade, Iran has witnessed a modest revival of labour activism. Not a week goes by without reports of demonstrations, strikes or other forms of protest against lay-offs, low or non-payment of wages, hazardous working conditions and so on. At the same time, labour activists are subjected to arrest and violence, while independent trade unions are banned. Thus, the issues of labour activism and democracy are tightly connected. This working paper aims to analyze the development of labour activism in Iran and its relationship with the wider struggles for democratic transformation.

This paper aims to bring to attention labour activism in Iran, which has been largely ignored in discussions about civil society and democratization. After discussing the role of workers in democratization, I will give an overview of labour activism before and after the 1979 revolution. The final part of this paper will analyze the structural and organizational factors that have shaped labour activism and discusses the relationship between labour activism and the Green Movement.

Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia - July 2013  

Hivos and the Political Science department at the University of Amsterdam, initiated the Knowledge Programme Civil Society in West Asia in 2008. This academic-activist initiative ended in 2011 and generated insights on the role of civil society actors and western donors in democratization processes in Syria and Iran.