The Labor Issue in the Southern Oil Regions during the Reza Khan Coup: From Protest to Policy Change The Triad of the Government, the Oil Company, and the Workers (1304-1299)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor of History, National Archive & Library of Iran

10.22034/jiiph.2025.66436.2565

Abstract

This research aims to examine labor issues in the oil industry of southern Iran during the years of the coup d'état (1304-1299 AH) It focuses on the complex interaction between labor, capital (British and Iranian oil companies), and the Iranian government. The main research question is to identify the factors affecting the formation and emergence of labor challenges and the role of the government in facing these challenges. This research uses historical analysis and archival sources, government documents, and historical reports to examine the developments of this period. The research findings show that the increase in demand and supply of labor resulting from unfavorable economic and social conditions, along with the ambiguities of the Darcy Agreement, paved the way for the oil company to abuse workers' rights. Labor protests against discrimination and inequality prompted the government to take a more active role in protecting workers’ rights by consolidating central power and establishing dispute resolution commissions. Government pressure and labor protests led to changes in the oil company’s policies on hiring, training, and wage payments. Finally, this study shows that the period under study was critical in the history of labor relations and the Iranian oil industry, paving the way for important developments in oil policies and labor laws in the years to come.
Keywords: Labor history, Anglo-Iranian oil companies, labor protests, dispute resolution commission

Keywords

Main Subjects

Journal of Iranian Islamic Period History

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 27 May 2025

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History

  • Receive Date: 19 April 2025
  • Revise Date: 29 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 19 May 2025

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