In their latest attempt to scare the participants of anti-government protests into submission, the Iranian authorities have resorted to public executions. Mohsen Shekari, accused of injuring a member of the Basij militia, and Majidreza Rahnavard, accused of fatally stabbing two Basij militia volunteers, were both charged with “moharebeh”, or "waging war against God", and hanged.

The statements translated below come from the Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers and the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers’ Syndicate, both of which have called for a united working class response.

Against the Executions and In Condemnation of the Murders of Majidreza Rahnavard and Mohsen Shekari, Let's Go On Strike!

On 12 December, the Judiciary News Agency announced the execution of 23-year-old Majidreza Rahnavard.
This action of the government is drawing a sword against everyone, including us workers, whose lives and livelihoods have been taken away and destroyed for more than 43 years.
The meaning of this action is to suffocate every voice of protest against poverty, injustice, hunger, and looting.
It means to suffocate the voice of the people who shout “Woman, Life, Freedom”.
Therefore, there is no need to hesitate any longer. These executions and death threats to loved ones who are in custody call for protest by all of us.
This crime is so heinous that even within the government itself there are quarrels. We will no longer tolerate these repressions. We will no longer tolerate poverty and insecurity and theft and looting.
Fortunately, there have been calls from fellow workers to strike. The permanent oil workers and staff have called for a large nationwide protest rally for 17 December, and other colleagues in the petro-refineries have called for strikes on the 24, 25 and 26 December.
While supporting all these calls, the Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers sees the solution in getting organised and coordinating the strikes.
Our emphasis is on an immediate response against repression and execution by the criminal justice system, and this response is nothing but the strike of our oil workers and the closing of the oil taps.
We, the oil contract workers, have been able to prepare for this in some places, but for a nationwide strike, nationwide preparations are needed, so the Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers requests all fellow workers in all sectors to actively communicate with the channel admin to enable a quicker organisation of the protests. Let's schedule an end to these crimes.
Something must be done to put an end to murder and crime and executions.
We emphasise all our demands.

Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers, 13 December 2022

17 December is a Great Achievement for Permanent Fellow Workers in the Oil Industry

On 17 December, our permanent fellow workers went on strike and organised mass gatherings in different areas such as Asaluyeh, Mahshahr, Teng Bijar, Gachsaran, Jeziza Khark, Ahvaz and Mahmood Abad to protest against the deterioration of their living conditions and to pursue their rightful demands.
These mass gatherings were formed in response to the previous call and were organised nationwide, something unprecedented during the last few decades. We are very happy for our permanent fellow workers who are so united in pursuing their demands, and we believe that today is the time for them to officially announce their own Council for Organising Protests by Oil Workers so that together we can hold nationwide protests to end the slavery laws in the oil industry’s special economic zones and in protest against embezzlement and theft and the spread of predatory contractors. We aim to be able to put an end to the insecurity of the work environment that takes victims every day, as well as the police atmosphere prevailing in the oil centres and so to bring our living and working conditions to an acceptable level.
As it has emphasised many times, the Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers considers itself a companion alongside all sectors that are working in oil and firmly defends the struggles of oil's permanent fellow workers. It is clear that the protest of permanent fellow workers will continue and their strike and gatherings on 17 December were just a warning protest. These comrades have announced that if their demands are not met, they will prepare their next protest movement and this time on a wider level.
It should be mentioned that our fellow workers in petro-refineries have also called for a strike for the 19-21 December in protest against the worsening of their living and working conditions. We also support the protests of these workers and will do all we can to give a voice to their protest.
Finally, we emphasise joining the nationwide calls for protests on 19-21 December against executions and repressions. The Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers, calls on the contractual and permanent workers, third parties and daily wage workers, in all oil sectors in Asaluyeh, Kangan, in drilling and operational sectors, in fuel sectors, in refineries and petrochemical and related industries, to widely join these protests and declare their anger and hatred against the execution by announcing a strike. No to execution! Woman, Life, Freedom!

Council for Organising Protests by Oil Contract Workers, 18 December 2022

The Force That Can Liberate Us From This Hell is the United and Organised Working Class

In support of the strike of oil workers and all employees.
On Saturday 17 December we heard the news of the protest and strike by oil and gas industry workers and permanent employees.
Workers and employees started their strike by demanding the implementation of Article 10, an increase in wages and other demands.
The demands of the workers and employees of the oil and gas industry are the demands of all workers who work and produce daily, who are exploited, but still struggle with poverty.
So your success in achieving these demands will be the success of all workers in other sectors of production and service industries.
Increasing wages has been, and is, the nation-wide desire of every worker and wage earner, who at the same time is trying to get rid of discrimination and inequalities, until finally getting rid of exploitation itself. This is the main struggle of the workers’ movement.
In the current situation the strike of oil, gas and petrochemical industry workers who are insisting that their demands are met can be much more promising than ever.
In a situation where the voice of the subjugated people in Iranian society is met with prisons, bullets and gallows; in a situation where the streets, the stronghold of the most noble people who are fighting for their rights, are coloured with blood and the lives of their children are taken with ropes, the call to strike and protest by those who create and produce the wealth can only be promising.
In the current situation, when social order and the normal routines of life have fallen apart, society needs a forward-looking leadership.
The only true progressive force that is the real defender of freedom and equality in all affairs is the organised and united working class.
In the current situation, it is the working class that guarantees the most and the widest freedoms in the society.
Only the working class can guarantee equality and eliminate oppression and exploitation in society. It is only the working class whose interests are tied to the interests of the majority of the society, and for this reason, only the working class, the true defender of freedom and equality, is against all kinds of oppression, discrimination and inequality.
In order to emancipate itself from oppression and exploitation, the working class has no other way than to be united, through solidarity and organisation. The organised working class, the class that produces all the material and spiritual wealth of the society, can promise liberation and equality for humanity.
Fellow workers:
Let's take united and organised steps towards our emancipation!
Long live the organised solidarity of the working class!

Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers’ Syndicate, 18 December 2022