More Economy: The Labor Element

Bill Balderston of Labor Notes interviews Tehran-based labor organizer Homayoun Poorzad (complete interview at Enduring America):

Iran, like other countries, has had an import mania. Bargaining power has suffered, with labor supply far outstripping demand. The Ahmadinejad government has been “bailing out” firms, but the government is running out of money. The situation for labor is at its lowest status since the start of the 20th century, leaving out the years of the two world wars.

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Some people in the U.S. saw Ahmadinejad as a populist; but workers are not fooled; they know it is a police state, with a right-wing ideology. He has a base in small towns and rural areas amongst the poor. The regime gives handouts of money and coupons to such people before the elections.