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Coll 28/85S (1) ‘Persia. Abadan and S. W. Persian oilfields; Protection of British interests.’ [‎12r] (23/1113)

The record is made up of 1 file (555 folios). It was created in 27 Mar 1946-28 Feb 1948. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .

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India n* Tna disaffection in oortain sections of tne
r Indian Staff employees persisted tnrougdout tne quarter.
Tne Jompany^ comments on tne list of- grievances v/liicn naa
been submitted by tbe Indians last May snowed tnat tne
management was aware of most of tne points raised. In view
of tna terms of its concession, .vnereoy its labour must oe
Iranianised as soon as possible, tne Company is unaoie to
offer a life-time career to landian employees in tne same way
as it can to its Iranian employees, and it is only due to
tne rapid expansion in tne Company’s activities, wnicn nad
outstripped tne rate of recruitment of suitable Iranians,
tnat tney nave been able to retain tne services of so many of
taeir Indian employees. In spite of tnis and otner over
riding difficulties, tne Company nave invariably endeavoured
to ^ive tne Indian staff employees as fair a deal as possible.
Tne Jompany* s comments on tne grievances were explained to
tne Indians, wbo thereupon produced a second note, in ampli
fication of tne first. As before, their main grievance was
that of "status". They objected to the practice of being
designated as 'cierxs" and inaintained taut, as members of tne
jritisn Commonwealta, tney were entitled to tne same status,
facilities and privileges as all otner employees of tne
Company, wnetner iritisn ox* xranian. Tnis note was discussed
■vita d.Consul wita members of tne General iianagement, wno
repeated tii^tt tney were already doin«. tneix 1 utmost to make
tne Indians as comfortable as possible undei* very difficult
conditions, and taat if tne Indians nad any grievances, tney
vere sole to ventilate them torougn tne medium of tneir own
Jonsultative Corruiittee, wnere tney would receive a sympathetic
hearing. Tne Indians nowever nave little fait a in tne use
fulness of taeir Consultative Committee, wnich they appear to
regard, not as aa.organ tnrough which they may sug 0 est improve
ments in tneir working and living conditions, but as a body
formed oy the Company througn wnicn the Indians can oe informed
of the Company’s inability to meet tneir demands. Tnis is,
of course, a gross mis-representation of tne 'true facts. As
regards the Indians' grievance about tneir status, it is
difficult to see waat improvements tne Company can effect.
Tne management intends to do away with sue a distinctive classi
fications as "Senior", "Junior","Indian" and "Iranian" staff,
an! to designate all employees as "staff" in t hopes tnat
tnis may produce tne desired effect. Jut, while the Company
are anxious to keep tneir Indian employees contented, tney are
disinclined to retain tne services of disloyal elements, some
of wnom are strongly anti-dritisn ana Communistic in taeir
outlook, and spend a great deal of taeir time in inciting others
to disloyalty. ^ne such employee, wno alleged tnat he was
being victimised by tne Company, recently engaged himself in
instituting an anti-Company drive and was party responsible for
tne issue of an anonymous notice advocating tne boycott of
tne Indian Staff Consultative Committee. Tnis man’s contract
hab now expired and tne Company nave not given him an
opportunity of renewing it. The Management intends to take
similar action in the case of other known agitators ana 1 am
in complete agreement vitn tneir attitude in tnis respect.
C. //nils tne notes enumerating the Indians' grievances
ostensibly ref ex’ to all Indian staff employees, en^uii’ies
reveal tnat this is not really so. Tne majority of tne senior
/Indians

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Content

Papers relating to strikes and social unrest amongst workers on the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company’s (AIOC) oilfields in southern Iran (frequently referred to as Persia throughout the file), and the AIOC refinery at Abadan. The file’s principal correspondents include: the British Ambassador at Tehran, John Haller Le Rougetel; the Counsellor for Indian Affairs at the British Embassy in Tehran, Clarmont Percival Skrine; the Foreign Office.

The file covers: initial reports of unrest at Abadan in May 1946; the Tudeh Party of Iran’s perceived involvement in fomenting unrest amongst AIOC employees; unrest amongst Indian AIOC employees, and discussion amongst British officials over plans to repatriate perceived ringleaders back to India; the despatch of Indian troops to Shaiba [Shu‘aybah] in Iraq, that could be deployed to quell social unrest in southern Iran if required; accounts of events on 14 July 1946, in which violent clashes occurred between socialist activists associated with the Tudeh Party who supported AIOC workers, and representatives of the Arab Tribal Union; a facsimile of an account of the events 14 July 1946 written by Vere William Digby Willoughby, British Consul at Khorramshahr (ff 214-249); a report on working and living conditions for Indian AIOC employees, submitted by the Indian Press Officer attached to the British Embassy in Tehran (ff 170-181); a report entitled ‘Social and municipal development carried out by the Anglo-Iranian Company, Limited, in Abadan and the south Persian oilfields’, submitted by the AIOC Chairman, William Fraser (ff 143-162); a report on AIOC labour conditions in Iran, submitted by K J Hird, Labour Attaché at the British Embassy in Tehran, dated 31 December 1946 (ff 87-101); the withdrawal of Indian troops from Shaiba in April 1947, in response to a stabilisation of the political situation in Iran; quarterly reports on affairs at AIOC, prepared by HM Consul-General at Khorramshahr, describing worker morale, potentially subversive activities, social improvements for workers, etc.

Extent and format
1 file (555 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 557; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 28/85S (1) ‘Persia. Abadan and S. W. Persian oilfields; Protection of British interests.’ [‎12r] (23/1113), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3490A, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100085059433.0x00001a> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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