Statements on the Occasion of Workers' Day Meeting

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Thanks be to God, the Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master and prophet, Abu al-Qasim al-Mustafa Muhammad, and upon his pure and chosen progeny, especially the Awaited One on earth.

Welcome, dear brothers and sisters, those associated with labor, workers, labor elites, entrepreneurs, and relevant government officials. May this occasion be blessed for all of you, God willing. The blessed birth of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) coincides with these days related to labor and workers; let us take this as a good omen and, God willing, benefit from the pure spirit of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) to find the path and tread it so that we can put an end to the existing problems. I will say a few words regarding the issue of labor and workers and some other related matters that concern us and you.

Fortunately, the love and devotion of our nation to Imam Hussain (peace be upon him) is completely evident and manifest; both during these days of celebration and mourning, people truly express their devotion to the presence of Imam Hussain (peace be upon him); this is a source of pride for us; this knowledge and love is an honor for our nation.

On Workers' Day and in relation to workers, we must address the issue of workers in the country and also the fundamental issue of employment, one aspect of which relates to labor and workers; because the issue of employment, in the true sense of the word, is one of the country's dilemmas that must be resolved.

Regarding the issue of workers; well, the importance of workers has been stated repeatedly in various languages. If a country wishes to have an advanced economy, an independent economy, and genuine economic prosperity, it must give importance to the working class; because workers are the backbone of the productive and labor economy in the country; undoubtedly, this is the case. The fact that we have recently taken up the banner of national production and continuously emphasize national production is largely related to workers. If we want our working community to enjoy the privileges and rights it deserves, we must focus on the issue of national production. If workers in society feel encouraged to work and the necessary conditions and requirements are met—which I have previously mentioned and will briefly touch upon again—the state of the country's economy will improve. Our economic problem is not an unsolvable issue; it is not a problem without a solution; it is not a knot that cannot be untied. We must find the right path, and then we must strive and work hard; officials must make efforts.

A major task in this matter is to respect and consider the working community of the country; the working community must feel honored, feel respected, and feel that their value and work are recognized; if this is established, then fatigue from work, lack of enthusiasm for work, and indifference to work will no longer exist, and work will be done correctly and properly. One of the requirements is that we promote a culture of work, promote the importance of work. Yes, there are some who are eager to work but cannot find jobs; there are also those who do not mind being unemployed; we must promote the culture of work, the value of work, and the importance of work in society; it should be such that in the public perception of our people, work finds its place, its status. This is one of the necessary tasks. And 'work' is important; the type of work is secondary. To say, 'I do not want this job; that job should be given to me,' is a secondary issue. The primary issue is the very desire to work and the enthusiasm for work; this must be promoted in society, and work must be recognized as a value; when a worker says, 'I am a worker,' they should feel proud, not inferior; as the reality is, if we gather all the wealth of the world in one place, if all the rich of the world come together, but there is no worker to work, it is useless; the worker is the backbone of the economy and the backbone of production. Of course, I have repeatedly said that each sector has its share; entrepreneurs, employers, workers, and government managers each have their share; these various elements must cooperate together for work to be done beautifully, well, and perfectly; this is evident; everyone must cooperate; however, the role of the worker as the axis of work, activity, and employment in the country must be introduced as a value that brings pride. If someone, for example, asks a young person what their father does, they should proudly say he is a worker; just as they would proudly say, for example, he is a manager; this is a very important step. Job security is one of the requirements; this relates to government officials. The job security of workers is very important. Ensuring the livelihood of workers is very important. Every word of what the Minister has stated must be pursued; work must be done for each of these. Movement must take place; everyone must feel responsible for these truths to be realized. Therefore, everyone is responsible; the government is responsible, the employer is responsible, the worker is responsible, and the entrepreneur is responsible; everyone has a degree of responsibility. If responsibilities are fulfilled, work will be done correctly.

Now, what I am saying is not a sermon; it is not that we are now preaching or advising; rather, this speaking and this saying is to create a public thought, a public demand, and for everyone to want these objectives to be realized. The name of the year that is set, the title 'Resistance Economy' that is repeated, is for this public demand to manifest itself in hearts, in words, and in actions, and for everyone to move in this direction. When something becomes a public discourse and a public demand, it will naturally be realized; that is, officials will also move in that direction.

Well, there is one point here that we should not forget, that the Islamic Republic must be very grateful to the working community in this regard. You know that the working community plays a role in political and social matters; this is the case in the world. Workers' strikes in certain factories or certain institutions or various devices inflict significant economic and political blows on governments. From the very first day that this revolution triumphed, the enemies tried to use this weapon against the Islamic Republic; from the very first day, they tried to force workers in some way to have a negative political impact on the Islamic Republic. And always, workers have sided with the Islamic Republic, supported the system. Our working community has, in fact, struck the enemies of the Islamic system over these thirty-some years! The Islamic Republic and all those involved must be grateful to the working community; after this, by God's grace, it will continue to be so. Our working community is a religious community; despite all the efforts of the enemy, it acts according to its divine and Islamic duty and, consequently, is alongside the system, for the system, and in service to the system; well, this must be appreciated by all.

I will also address the issue of employment. The issue of employment is a broader issue than that of workers. Employment is a significant issue for the country. Every official—now it is election season, and I will say a few words about the elections—every person who becomes responsible for the country or the government or the economic sectors of the government in the future must, from the very first day, dedicate their efforts to the issue of employment. These are not matters that one can delay; they must be addressed from the very first day. If our officials can adequately secure employment within the country, social harms will also decrease, various problems of the youth will diminish, and many of the calamities that arise from unemployment and idleness will also decrease. All the expenses we incur to confront drugs and drug trafficking and such matters are partly due to the existence of unemployment, the presence of the unemployed, and the lack of employment. The issue of employment is very important! It is a priority.

And we have stated that there is a connection between employment and national production. If we want employment to arise in the country, we must give importance to national production—production in the broadest sense; industrial production, agricultural production, service production—all of these must be considered and planned for. These are matters that we cannot afford to delay; officials must address these issues at the earliest opportunities—whoever is responsible and will be responsible must address this issue. Therefore, these matters are among the priority issues and of utmost importance to the system.

Let me say a few words about the elections. Thanks be to God, the atmosphere of the elections in the country is warming up, and this is very important and necessary; we should not be indifferent to this. The issue of elections is very important. We have one message for the people, one message for the officials, and one message for the candidates.

My main message is to the people. Our dear people must know that their presence in various arenas is decisive. Decisive of what? Decisive of national security. If the people are present in the scene, the country will remain secure. The reason you see the arrogant and brazen enemies of the Islamic Republic avoiding any harsh actions is because of the people's presence; they are afraid, in the true sense of the word, they are afraid; this is not an analysis; what I am saying is a reality, and the evidence for it is among the certainties. When the nation is present, the enemy that wants to fight this system is forced to retreat and not attack; when a distance is created between the nation and the system, and the nation does not show up in the scene; then they can do anything; it is not very difficult for them; they can take any action, just as they have done in various parts of the world. In Islamic Iran, the enemy has not been able to act because of the people's presence; it has been because of the people's presence that they have not been able to attack. Sometimes we hear, and in the past we have heard, that some have said, 'When we came to power, we managed to lift the shadow of war from the country'; no, these statements are not correct; hear this from me, what has lifted the shadow of war, the shadow of the enemy's aggression from this country over these many years, has been the presence of the people.

Well, how is this presence manifested? The most important manifestation of this presence is the elections; this is my message to the people. I do not tell the people to choose this person or that person; I will never say this to the people, but I tell the people and insist that they must definitely be present at the ballot box and vote for whoever they deem fit; this must happen. Anyone who loves the country, anyone who loves the system, anyone who loves security—from all walks of life—must come into the election arena, come to the ballot box; this reduces the enemy's harm.

Those who are estranged from their own people want to display the people's support [for themselves] before the eyes of the powers, which, of course, has no effect. The people are good with us, the people are alongside the system, the people are attached to the system, the people have endured hardships alongside this system for nearly forty years, have traversed difficult paths, and have made vital contributions to the Islamic Republic. This progress we have, this power the Islamic Republic has today, this influence it has in the region, is due to the people's presence; it is due to the people's support.

You see; a young person from a certain area who becomes a martyr—I have closely followed this issue—does not matter which city they are from, which province they are from, or which part of the country they are from; the way people enthusiastically and passionately welcome such individuals is astonishing. Why is this? The movement of the system, the direction of the system is desirable for the people; they know that the Islamic Republic is striving for their dignity, striving for their security, striving for their progress. The Islamic Republic has cut off the enemy's hand from this country; this is not a small feat; this is a very significant achievement. You see; oil-rich countries have their oil, their income, their wealth in the hands of foreigners; they allow foreigners in to maintain their power for a while and enjoy; this was also the case in our country under the tyrannical regime. Thousands of Americans were taking money from this nation and dominating here, exerting pressure on the officials of this country—from the bottom to the top; this is the case elsewhere as well. The Islamic Republic came and cut off the enemy's hand; it removed the limitations that the enemy had imposed on the country; it set the country in motion. Today, Iran is a rapidly advancing country; a dignified country; a powerful country. These are very important; the people know these things, and thus they stand by the system. I say, the manifestation of the people's support for the Islamic Republic is their presence at the ballot box; this is the essence of our message regarding the elections.

Another point I want to convey to the people is that they should not take the issue of elections lightly; they should vote thoughtfully and with consideration; they should think. When we think logically, make a choice, and cast our vote based on that choice, we are excused before God; it is possible that we may make a mistake, but still, we are excused before God. However, if we act carelessly, without precision, without thought, we are not only responsible before God but also before ourselves; later we will say, 'Wow, we did not think correctly about this issue!' That is, we will condemn ourselves; but when you have thought, studied, consulted, and made a choice based on a thought, God is pleased with you because you have done your part; your conscience is also satisfied with you; it says, 'Well, I have done my part; even if I have made a mistake, mistakes happen to everyone; but I have done my part.' This is another point I want to convey to the people.

I also have a message for the honorable candidates; now six of the honorable gentlemen are candidates. First, I tell the honorable candidates to make your intentions sincere for God; it should not be for power, but for service. If someone enters the arena for the sake of serving the people, especially serving the underprivileged classes, every action of theirs, every word of theirs, every statement of theirs is a good deed, and has a reward before God. Enter with this intention; with the intention of service. This is the first point.

The second point is that you should choose slogans in such a way that everyone knows you want to support the underprivileged classes of the country and address the problems of the needy. We are one body; society is like the body of a human; let us see where we are weak, where blood does not flow, where more attention is needed, and address that; not that we ignore other parts of the body; no, but we should prioritize this [part]. I have had many strong objections to various officials in different governments. Now, we usually do not bring these objections before the public and in the public eye because people do not like disputes and quarrels, and it is not beneficial; but with the officials of the country, I have sometimes had many disagreements. One of the frequent points of disagreement has been why you do not respect these priorities. What is the priority? In various sectors—well, the country has economic sectors, cultural sectors, various political, scientific, and other sectors—there is a priority in each sector; that must be respected, that must be pursued, that must be advanced. These gentlemen who are candidates today should decide and make a covenant with themselves and God that if they are accepted by the people and receive votes, they will respect the priorities; they will pay more attention to the areas that need more care; they will pursue programs accordingly.

Let it be known to all, the candidates should also know that we will not be able to bring this country to order except through jihadist work and revolutionary work. In all sectors, the commitment of a jihadist is necessary; if this exists, work will progress; if this exists, deadlocks will be opened; that is, work must be abundant, substantial, high-quality, and revolutionary. What does revolutionary mean? Some think that when we say revolutionary, it means disorder; no, in fact, one of the main lines of revolutionary action is order; however, revolutionary means that we do not get distracted by peripheral and ceremonial matters; revolutionary work means shortening the paths for permits. Some of these sincere and religious entrepreneurs came to meet us a while ago and said that to obtain a permit for a small matter—now they mentioned a name, and I do not want to go into details—they must obtain permits from, for example, 20 or 25 places; this is un-revolutionary work. Revolutionary work means that those who set the regulations come and shorten the paths; they should put shortcuts in front of the people, in front of the entrepreneurs, in front of those who want to serve; these are the necessary works; officials must roll up their sleeves and truly work.

Another recommendation is for the government officials who are responsible for the elections; whether in the Ministry of Interior, the Guardian Council, or in the media—such as radio and television and other places—whether in various sectors that, God willing, will be involved in the voting day, they must preserve the people's trust; these votes of the people, this presence of the people, is the trust of the people. They must preserve this trust with utmost caution; lest, God forbid, someone may attempt to tamper with this trust. They must strictly adhere to the law; they should not have any hesitations regarding the law in front of anyone. The law is the law; it applies to everyone; there are no exceptions regarding the law. They must adhere to the law so that, God willing, a correct, proper, and desirable work is done, pleasing to God Almighty. And I have repeatedly stated and will repeat that the people's vote is a right of others; if someone infringes upon it, they have infringed upon the right of others, and fulfilling the right of others is a very difficult task.

O Lord! By the right of Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, empower us in what we say and desire; make the pure spirit of Imam Khomeini (may his soul be sanctified) and the pure souls of the martyrs pleased with us; make the sacred heart of the Awaited One (may our souls be sacrificed for him) pleased and content with us.

Peace be upon you and God's mercy and blessings.