Reza Pahlavi's Message on the Occasion of Labor Day

To the noble and freedom-loving workers of Iran:

May 1st is celebrated by workers around the world. On this day, people of all countries express their gratitude to all workers and their invaluable work, for this social group is the backbone of progress in modern and industrial societies. However, it took a long time before workers the world over could obtain their deserved rights, as a result of their collective and organized struggle and the formation of unions and free syndicates. Better working conditions, better wages, unemployment and disability protection and compensation, medical insurance, pensions, and many more rights which are today amongst the imperative necessities in modern societies, were all gradually obtained as a result of the collective effort of world workers. And today, they represent a major pillar in industrial states.

My hard-working compatriots,

Your current hardship and predicament, under a dictatorial regime, which with manipulation of and in the name of Islam has inflicted so much repression and hardship on you and the rest of your fellow citizens, is outright deplorable. This has rightfully forced you to embark on a new struggle to claim your rights, but has subjected you to many injustices. Instead of positively responding to your demands, this regime has yet again demonstrated its callousness by brutalizing you, by firing you from your jobs, by putting you in jail and torturing you. But you’re the cry for justice is un-repressible and un-extinguishable.

Today, your protests are being heard around the globe. On this Labor Day, your solidarity with out-of-work fellow workers, teachers and students in confronting this regime can herald freedom and economic welfare in Iran. This unity and solidarity is more than ever critical in our national goal of attaining freedom and prosperity.

I call upon my compatriots to rise to the occasion and help propagate the voices of our workers and teachers to international human rights organizations and international labor unions and organizations so that they would also show solidarity and support for their demands for better wages, better working conditions and their rights overall.

I take this opportunity to offer, on this day, my warmest congratulations to our workers’ new valiant movement. It is my hope that as a result of this national solidarity amongst all our social sectors, we shall soon witness fundamental social changes in our beloved homeland.

May God protect Iran

Reza Pahlavi