Statements on Meeting with Workers on the Occasion of Labor Week

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 among the inhabitants of the earth.

Happy Labor Day to you dear ones! For me, this annual meeting with a group of workers here is a desirable encounter; there are many things to say, and above all, I express my gratitude and respect to the working community of the country. Today, I extend my respect to all of you and to the entire working community of the country, and I sincerely ask the Almighty God to grant us the success to fulfill our duties towards the working community; we have difficult and heavy responsibilities.

Firstly, it is the month of Rajab; we are between the blessed birth of Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) and the mission of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family); it is the month of supplication, the month of prayer, the month of remembrance. The noble verses that our dear reciter has recited here: "O you who have believed, remember Allah with much remembrance * And exalt Him morning and afternoon * He it is who sends blessings upon you, and His angels (2)" [He says] you remember God, and the Almighty God sends blessings upon you, greeting you; both the Divine Essence and His angels greet you believers. And let us know that the remembrance of God is a guide, it opens paths, it can help us untie knots; we have many knots, and it is through the power and ability of ourselves as humans that we must untie these knots, but this power, this ability is granted to us by God. The remembrance of God helps us to open dead ends and to clear paths.

Today, I have noted a few sentences and a few points to share with you. One discussion is about the general concept of work, the broad concept of work; another discussion is about the working community in the conventional sense. Regarding the first discussion, which is the broad meaning of work, anyone who is engaged in work in society is, in this sense, a worker; productive work, service work, managerial work, scientific work; all of these are workers. A manager is also a worker in his managerial work; a university professor, a seminary teacher, a student, a seminarian, those who engage in religious work, promotional work, in this sense, are all workers.

Well, work in this sense has a blessing that is not found in anything else. Work in this broad sense that we have mentioned is constructive; it constructs the individual, it constructs society, it constructs others; therefore, it is valuable. Unemployment, laziness, pointless wasting of time, squandering youthful energy, intellectual energy, and physical energy is condemned, it is against value; this is the logic of Islam. Anyone who is doing a job anywhere is creating a value. If it is accompanied by a sincere intention for God, it is worship, it is rewarded.

Well, regarding this meaning of work, the general recommendation is that we should expand work; we should encourage everyone to work wherever they are, to improve the quality of work, to fulfill the right of work. Suppose a student does not study properly; he has not fulfilled the right of work; just as if a professor does not dedicate time to teaching, does not prepare himself, does not study, does not allocate time, he has not fulfilled the right of work; if a manager who is appointed somewhere - as a minister, as a manager, as a member of parliament - does not dedicate himself to this work, he has not fulfilled the right of work. It is not acceptable that we take on the responsibility of a management position but do not dedicate ourselves, our time, all our energy to the work for which we have taken responsibility and engage in other activities; no, the right of that work has not been fulfilled. Therefore, in terms of work in this general sense, these are the general recommendations we have; we have spoken a lot about this, and we do not want to repeat ourselves.

Our main discussion, our primary discussion is about the working community; work in the specific sense, meaning productive work, service work, industrial or agricultural work; today, the subject of our discussion is primarily this.

Well, firstly, I see it as my duty to say a few words about the merits of our working community; we have said this a hundred times, but if we say it a hundred more times, it is not too much. Our working community has been loyal to the country and loyal to the system; I say this because of my close contact with labor issues over the past 37 or 38 years. The working community showed loyalty during the revolution, demonstrated presence; they showed presence in the very important and decisive events of the early revolution.

In the early days of the revolution, the leftists of that time, the Marxists of that day who later became the servants and mercenaries of global arrogance, tried to turn the public movement of the Iranian nation into their so-called "worker revolutions" and take the reins of power from the people, from religion, from Islam, and hand it over to a few as a worker government and as a worker revolution; these were the actions in the early revolution. I myself went to a factory on the old Karaj road, participated in their gathering, and saw the workers there; I saw non-worker elements who had come there to make it a center of movement to lead the workers of the country - first the workers of Tehran and then, consequently, the country - to confront the Imam and the revolution and the people, up close. I went there - I went during the day, I went at night - and saw how the believing worker, the Muslim worker, and the Muslim-born showed awareness and insight in the face of the enemies' conspiracies; and this insight was demonstrated by our workers; that was during the revolution, this was in the early events of the revolution, then there was the issue of the imposed war, then various political issues and different political currents in this country; in all of these, our workers showed loyalty to the system; not just verbal loyalty, but with their bodies, with their physical presence, they entered the field and demonstrated their presence and made an impact; this is a reality; it is still the same today.

There are problems in the lives of workers - which the honorable minister referred to some of them; well, efforts are being made, and I hope that the Almighty God grants him and all officials the success to bring the matters he referred to into action, God willing; what has been done, may God accept it and bless it; what has not been done, may they be able to accomplish it; work must be done - there are problems, yet the working community did not heed the anti-revolutionary message, did not listen; they wanted the masses to stand against the system, for the working community to stand, for the academic community to stand; but the working community did not stand, rather they stood behind the system and defended it. This is the merit of the working community.

I, first and foremost, bow my forehead to the ground in gratitude to the Almighty God - because this is the hand of divine power, the hearts are in His hands - and secondly, I sincerely thank the working community; you have acted well, you are acting well regarding the issues of the revolution and the Islamic system. This is the first point.

However, regarding the role of workers and the issue of work and workplaces in the context of the resistant economy, which is an important issue. The resistant economy is not just a phrase; when we say "action and work," it means that each of the components of the resistant economy policies (3) must be acted upon in a real and true manner; that is, for each one, these brothers, the responsible gentlemen who, thanks be to God, are interested, should sit down, plan, and follow the program step by step; the issue of work plays a role in the resistant economy.

Well, what should a worker do to be able to participate in the resistant economy? Everyone has a role; the worker has a role, the employer has a role, the government has a role, various officials all have roles. The worker's role, first and foremost, is to feel a sense of responsibility; that is, the worker must feel responsible for the work assigned to him - we all must feel responsible - and must perform the work entrusted to him responsibly; he must increase the quality. All workers should be thinking about this, striving to improve the quality of work; this creates blessings, both for himself and for society. In the large market of Mashhad, there was a cobbler who was known for making shoes whose leather and sole would wear out, but the stitching of the shoe would not come apart; this is how solid work is. Let us ensure that our stitching, the work that is in our hands, is done correctly, with quality and durability; this is the worker's duty. Well, saying this is easy, but how to implement it? That God Almighty said through the Prophet: "May God have mercy on a person who does a deed and does it well" (4) - I have probably read this hadith dozens of times - may God's mercy be upon the person who performs a task and does it well, solidly; well, this has its requirements.

What should we do so that the worker can gain the ability to improve the quality of work? Some of these requirements are the responsibility of the government, some are the responsibility of managers, some are the responsibility of the people, and some are the responsibility of the workers themselves. One of the things that must be done so that the worker can improve the quality of work is skill enhancement; this technical-professional training that they mentioned; I have emphasized this for years to every Minister of Education and every Minister of Labor who has come to power; this must be taken seriously, this is a fundamental task. The worker's skills must be enhanced; a simple worker cannot just rely on his experience; well, of course, experience is effective, but education is necessary. Skill enhancement is the responsibility of the authorities; this technical-professional training and various other tasks can be done for the skill enhancement of the worker; the employer is also effective, the government is also effective.

One issue is the job security of the worker; if the worker's mind is preoccupied with whether he will be in this workshop tomorrow or not, he cannot focus on work; job security must be established; this also has its ways, and this is again one of the responsibilities of various government officials, managers, employers, and others; it is not only related to the Ministry of Labor; it connects to various sectors; they must ensure that job security exists. The closure of workshops is one of the great calamities; one of the misfortunes of the worker is that this workshop closes. There are two types of closures: one closure is due to the employer's inability to meet the work requirements. Suppose his liquidity is low or he lacks raw materials or his machines are worn out and cannot operate; well, this creates responsibilities for those who have raw materials, liquidity, and the ability to build and repair machines; it is their duty, and they must assist this employer. Banks are responsible, the import and export agencies are responsible, the industrial and technological sectors are responsible, knowledge-based companies and the entire flow of these processes are responsible. This is one type of workshop closure; another type of workshop closure is due to exploitation. Someone has bought a factory - for example, transferred from government agencies or acquired in some way - then sees that it is more profitable for him to use the land, to utilize its area, and this workshop is detrimental to him; he closes the workshop under some pretext. We have these cases too; I have reports on this. We must confront these cases; we must deal seriously with them. I may have mentioned this once before in this labor gathering; he takes a loan - for example, suppose for importing raw materials or for producing in the workshop - then he spends this loan on construction in some place where his income is several times that. We must confront these cases; these must be pursued; the judicial system is responsible, the government is responsible, various agencies are responsible, and intelligence agencies are responsible. The issue is not that someone wants to become wealthy and is using a method to do so; we do not oppose Zayd and Amr becoming wealthy; well, let them become wealthy, but why should this wealth be obtained by stepping on the working community and the deprived people? This must be stopped.

You see, here the agencies are interconnected like a chain; banks, the banking system of the country, the agencies related to imports and exports, the agencies related to production and industry, all of these are interconnected; each can enhance the other or obstruct it; the overall management of the country must strive to prevent obstructions. Everyone must synergize, work must be done.

One of the things that makes the workers' movement successful is the promotion of the product of Iranian workers. I will discuss this later; I have much to say about promoting the product of work that I will mention shortly. One of the things necessary for the success of the worker in creating suitable work is a healthy work environment; one of the things that is necessary is to increase the share of wages in production costs. This can be planned in such a way that it does not harm the employer at all; unnecessary and excessive costs can be reduced, and the share of the worker's wages can be increased; if this is achieved, the worker will be encouraged. There are correct methods; some have experienced these in the world. Fortunately, our officials truly want to serve. We can find these methods with the power of faith and enthusiasm that exists; we can work in these areas.

Well, another aspect is the perspective towards the employer. I have repeatedly emphasized, for years, that the employer and the worker complement each other, not oppose each other. The foundation of Marxist thought and Marxist dialectics was based on conflict and opposition, while the foundation of Islamic thought and Islamic dialectics is based on cooperation, collaboration, and mutual support. The employer and the worker are two entities that can help each other; they are not adversaries or enemies; they are two collaborators, and each has rights. Ultimately, the employer is someone who could have placed this capital in a bank and benefited from its profits without worry; perhaps it would have yielded more profit than work; but he did not, he entered the field of work; this is very valuable. One of the rights that exists here is the sincere cooperation of the worker with the employer; they must cooperate sincerely.

One of the employer's rights is that the government and the relevant executive agencies facilitate work for the employer; as I mentioned; suppose [if] he lacks liquidity, they should provide it for him; [if] he lacks raw materials, his workshop or machine is worn out, and so on, they should help him to secure these. One of the ways to assist the employer is to create the groundwork for exports. Of course, the actual activity of exporting is done by the owner of the goods - the employer - but the groundwork for it is laid by the government agencies; they can help, they can create the groundwork. Here, our Ministry of Foreign Affairs can play a role, various ministries can play a role. One of the ways the government can assist the employer is to support him in dealing with foreign customers. Sometimes our exporter sends a product, and in that foreign country, they play games with him, harass him; here, it is the government's responsibility to step forward, stand firm, help, and not allow his rights to be violated in that country because someone - either their government or their merchant - wants to exploit him; they must not allow this. These are the kinds of assistance that can be provided to the employer; these are his rights.

One of the tasks that must be done is the necessary oversight on the health and quality of exported goods. Some people tarnish the country's reputation by exporting unhealthy goods; when this product goes into the foreign export market and its lack of health becomes evident, this is a blow to the country's reputation; not only to reputation, but it also harms the country's exports. Oversight must be conducted on health. These are tasks that must be done.

Well, now let us turn to domestic production. I hold a significant right for domestic production. Domestic production must be regarded as something sacred. Supporting domestic production must be recognized as a duty; everyone must consider themselves obliged to support domestic production. One of the ways is that goods that have domestic equivalents must not be imported from abroad at all; I have said this many times - now I will discuss the issue of smuggling later; the issue of smuggling is also an important matter - they must not be imported officially. There are methods [as well]; raising tariffs or preventing imports where domestic equivalents exist. [Of course] excuses are made - I know those excuses, I have heard them; now I will also refer to them - but the principle must be that domestic production is promoted. I have learned that in Tehran - perhaps in other cities as well - some stores have committed to selling only domestic products; they have put up signs; they brought me a picture of it, and I saw it. They have put up a large sign that in this store, only domestic products are sold. Bravo! Kudos to this honorable, conscientious person, to this reformist! Everything in this store is domestic production. The opposite of this are stores that when one enters, everything one sees is foreign products. Unfortunately, some of these stores, which are also large stores, belong to government agencies themselves! Why do they do this? This must be regarded as disgraceful. You want to make domestic workers unemployed while benefiting and favoring foreign workers for show! They bring in products with foreign labels, and a number of wealthy people - newly wealthy individuals who unfortunately are not few in the country - are after foreign labels; as they say, foreign brands. I personally dislike the term "brand". Selling foreign goods and consuming foreign goods must be recognized in society as a counter-value, unless there is no domestic equivalent. In cases where we have no domestic equivalent, well, yes, there is no problem; we have not isolated ourselves; we have relations with the world, we interact, we buy, we sell; there may be some cases where domestic production is not economical - we have such cases too - [importing] is not a problem. In cases where we have domestic production and want to have it and our workers are engaged in that work and creating added value, we should not set aside this domestic production and bring in a similar product from abroad at sometimes several times the price just because it has a foreign label, a label from a well-known factory in some European country; this must be regarded as a counter-value.

Imports of goods, as we mentioned, should be reasonably prevented. I am not in favor of extremism in these matters; I am in favor of wisdom and prudence in these matters. I do not say to close the gates; no, be vigilant; see what should be imported, import it, and what should not be imported, do not import it. I do not know what this issue of importing American cars is that has now come up and some say. The Americans themselves did not consume American cars; this was reflected in American media, and we saw it; they said their consumption is high, it is heavy. For example, suppose we use products from a certain American car manufacturer that is on the verge of bankruptcy; that too, America! (5) We must stand firmly against these. Who should stand? The officials themselves, the honorable ministers. I know that there are individuals who exert pressure from behind - they have interests, they profit, [therefore] they exert pressure - the officials must stand against these pressures, must not accept them. I do not know if it is true that the import of cosmetics in the country is several billion dollars; I have not researched it, and I do not think you have researched it much either; if it is true, it is bad. [Importing] cosmetics, several billion [dollars]! Especially in our country where they create so many obstacles and problems for it; just because, suppose, a wealthy family wants to have this. I have heard that some of them are unhealthy. [In contrast], they must stand against these, resist, and not allow it.

One issue is also the issue of smuggling. I have repeatedly discussed with government officials in various administrations regarding this issue of imports; they say if we raise tariffs too high or prevent imports, the same goods will come in as smuggled. Do you think this is a valid reason? Well, the fight against smuggling must be taken seriously. We have not acted seriously in the fight against smuggling so far; act seriously against smuggling. By smuggling, I do not mean the weak smuggler from Sistan and Baluchestan who goes over there, picks something up, and brings it back on his back; these are insignificant, they do not matter; it is okay if they are not fought against. I mean large organized smuggling; hundreds of containers or dozens of containers of various goods being smuggled into the country? Well, we must confront these; we are the government, we have power, we can; we must confront these seriously. If serious action is taken a few times, either it will be stopped or at least significantly reduced. Smuggling is a great plague for the country; smuggling is much worse than government and customs imports: firstly, the health of the goods is uncertain; secondly, no income is generated for the government from it; thirdly, it has the same problem of imports that it causes the domestic production market to stagnate. These are not small harms; we must confront smuggling seriously. The anti-smuggling apparatus must be taken very seriously; we must assign our strongest individuals to this task; and it can be done; my belief is that it can be done; either it will be stopped or if it cannot be completely stopped, a significant portion of it will be reduced. This is a very fundamental issue.

Another very important issue, which I have also repeatedly discussed with a number of relevant ministers - whether the ministers of agriculture, the ministers of industry, or some other government officials - is that sometimes a product can be produced domestically, but some individuals who profit greatly from importing that product come and prevent this domestic production; if it is done with bribery - "Sir, shut down this factory or do not build it and take this money" - if he does not comply, they threaten him, commit crimes. I do not want to mention the names of the products now; we know products that can be produced domestically but are imported because a few benefit from imports and do not allow domestic production to occur. An innovative person comes, has capital, wants to produce a product that is in high demand in the country; they go and say, "Sir! Do not produce this! Take ten billion or thirty billion and do not produce it;" if he complies, he eases himself, or if he does not comply, they pressure him and create all sorts of problems for him, legal obstacles arise, or ultimately they commit crimes, harm him, and make him regret. These are important matters; these are security issues; these are not simple matters; we cannot deal with these matters lightly. Smuggling is like this; smuggling is the poison of domestic production.

Another issue is the issue of advanced technology. Sometimes we say why do you import certain goods and products while domestic production exists, they say our domestic production technology is outdated, the world has evolved today, new methods have come, new technologies have emerged that we have to import. I have a response to this argument. Of course, I am not against imports; I am particularly not against importing technology; I was the president of this country, I was involved in executive matters, and I know; it is not a problem; sometimes it is necessary, but to a degree and in moderation. Whenever they fall short, they say our domestic production technology is backward; well, we have so many active minds in the country, minds that can produce a missile that travels two thousand kilometers and hits the target with less than ten meters of error; is this a small thing? (6) (I just wanted to give an example; now that the name of the missile came up, the youth got excited.) I say that the brain that can produce such a missile that our enemies acknowledge the importance of this work, can this brain not produce a vehicle that, suppose, consumes thirteen liters per hundred kilometers, down to five liters per hundred kilometers? Can it not do this? Is this brain incapable of this work? Why do you not consult the youth? Why do you not refer to these creative minds? Why do you not seek their help?

I have been saying for several years that "cooperation between industry and university" is essential; the result of cooperation between industry and university appears here. Industry helps the university to create new methods for it; both benefit from this. Connect industry to the university, connect it to the elite; just as fortunately many works have been done in the field of knowledge-based companies, and we see that Iranian youth can work. Here in this very Hosseiniyeh, they set up an exhibition for me, I came and visited; a group of young boys - high school students - were gathered here, they had worked. I came and asked them what they were doing, one said I produced this, another said I produced that; high school students! Well, our minds are like this, our human capital is like this; why do we not utilize this human capital and go after foreign cars because they have advanced technology? Let us create this advanced technology domestically. I have many examples that I do not want to mention, and some of them are confidential; if you knew where our youth have done great things, you would truly be amazed; we have many such cases, and my information in this area is very extensive; let us utilize these. Saying that we have backward technology is an excuse for imports.

Well, these are our words. I am optimistic about workers, about employers, about managers, and about government officials - I am not pessimistic about anyone. However, in some places, things are faltering; see where this faltering is, why it is faltering, and where the problem lies. You are pouring water into this large pool through several thick pipes, but it is not filling up; well, look for where the crack is, where the leak is that the water is going out and the pool is not filling up; the officials should look for these things.

My dear ones! The country can progress. When I repeatedly say that Islamic civilization and that Iran can become the peak of Islamic civilization, it is not a slogan or a boast; this is looking at the realities of the country. We can; we can advance our economy, advance our industry, advance our agriculture, and achieve self-sufficiency in areas where self-sufficiency is necessary; officials must strive. Just as I said at the beginning, everyone responsible must fulfill the right of that responsibility and make the necessary efforts.

Of course, we have an enemy, and the enemy is hostile. We do not move on a paved road; they constantly create obstacles for us. Who creates obstacles? Our enemies, and at the forefront of our enemies are America and Zionism; they disrupt, they deceive, and they want us not to understand this deception; sometimes they complain from afar about why we are distrustful of them. Well, we see things that we must be distrustful of; we cannot close our eyes. Right now, there is disruption in the banking transactions of our country, which all officials are saying. Communications and transactions are halted due to banking exchanges, and now it is done here with difficulty and effort; why? They say the big banks of the world are unwilling. Well, why are they unwilling? Do they have a disease? Banks exist to create interaction. Why would a well-known and large bank not want to deal with the eighty-million market of a country with so much wealth? There is a barrier; who is this barrier? America. With its ups and downs, I have said a hundred times that America cannot be trusted; now it is becoming completely clear. They write on paper that banks should deal with Iran - which is on paper and has no value - but in practice, they create fear in the hearts of banks so that they do not dare to approach; Iranophobia. They say Iran is a terrorist country, and we may, for example, sanction Iran because of its terrorist methods; well, what does this mean? This message is to the banks to be cautious; Iran may be sanctioned; do not proceed. They write on paper: banks, go deal, they issue directives, but in practice, they do things that prevent banks from daring to come forward, foreign investors from daring to come and invest; they are doing this in practice. Now they themselves are worse than all terrorists; they have helped notorious terrorists, and according to our information, they are still helping; and then they call Iran a terrorist! The American official says that the reason investors do not come to invest in Iran is the internal situation of Iran; what is wrong with the internal situation of Iran? Where is safer than Iran in this region? Is America safer than here? America, according to its own statistics, has several people killed every day by terrorism; is it safer than here? Are European countries with their popular protests, with their labor problems, with their economic problems safer than here? [Iran is] a safe country, a united country.

The internal situation of Iran, despite the enemies, in the face of the enemies' blindness, is very good. When an American official says that the system of anti-Iran sanctions has not been lifted, what does it mean? It means that foreign investors should be afraid and not come near; they are creating Iranophobia. They are openly scaring people from Iran so that no one approaches; this is our enemy. Well, this enemy exists; for every activity we undertake, we must assume the existence of this enemy.

We have had this enemy for 37 or 38 years and have progressed. I say [if] this enmity remains for another hundred years, to the enemies' chagrin, we will continue to progress for another hundred years. America is the enemy; whether we acknowledge it or not, it is the enemy; whether I, the humble speaker, say America is the enemy or not. They say why do you keep saying "enemy enemy"; well, suppose I do not say enemy; does that end the enmity? It is the enemy; it is the enemy of the essence of this public movement and the essence of the revolution and the essence of the system. America was once the master of this country; today it does not even have an embassy in this country; because the Islamic system has come to power; well, it is hostile to the Islamic system and wants the previous situation to be restored. They say to open the windows. That gentleman (7), in congratulating the New Year, recited a poem by an Iranian poet that said, "Open the windows"; I said yes, open the windows so that we can come in; open the windows so that we can come in easily!

Officials should pay attention - both government officials and the executive branch should pay attention, as well as the Islamic Consultative Assembly, judicial officials, revolutionary institutions, and all people - we are oppressed but strong; like our master Amir al-Mu'minin. Amir al-Mu'minin was the most oppressed but the strongest. If we recognize our worth, recognize our power, and use this power in the best, most humane, and most Islamic way, we will overcome all these obstacles. Yes, our path is not paved, but we also have the ability to move through the rough terrain; fortunately today, it is not rough terrain; in the early days of the revolution, our path was rough. Today, officials should pay attention, and people should pay attention to rely on our power.

In a few days - that is, in two days - elections will be held in some cities of the country; consider elections important; participate in elections; do not neglect elections; elections are important. I have repeatedly said and conveyed to our dear people - both in the elections that were in Esfand and before that in the parliamentary elections and presidential elections - that you should participate in elections; participation in elections is decisive. Some do not pay attention; when you do not come to the ballot box, you do not transfer these feelings, this desire, this pull, this identity to the ballot box, it will be difficult; participate in elections. The importance of the second round of elections is no less than that of the first round; just as we said there that it is necessary for everyone to participate, here it is also necessary for everyone to participate. Ask the Almighty God for help, and God willing, He will help you all.

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