Striking workers and their families march through the city of Shush, Iran
video for facebook … https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/306630503508686/
On 16th November 2018, sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh in Khuzestan, Iran, marched in the streets of Shush city on the 12th day of the strike.
The workers went to the mosque of Shush where Friday prayers were being held and turned it into a scene of protest and exposure of the corruption of government officials. Some of the Basij forces of the government challenged the protesters but didn’t manage to silence them.
At the assembly, Esmail Balhshi, elected representative of Haft Tapeh’s Workers’ Council, called on workers and their families to gather in front of the governor’s office on 17th November.
Esmail Bakhshi called on workers of other industries and the people to support Haft Tapeh workers. In response to the call people of Shawar, farmers of Shush, sugar workers of Shush, youth of Malek Ashtar and workers of the National Steel Group of Ahwaz shared their message of solidarity on the workers of Haft Tapeh Telegram group. He also thanked workers of the National Steel Group of Ahwaz for their support to which the assembly responded with cheering and slogans of “Steel, Haft Tapeh, Happy unity!”
The workers continued their protest in the bazaar of Shush and chanted “People of Shush, support, support!”
–Families of striking sugar cane workers join protest in Iran
video for facebook https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/1866267116814731/
On 14th November 2018, workers of sugar cane factory Haft Tapeh and their families in Khuzestan province, Iran, marched towards the governor’s office and held their assembly there.
The workers and their families called for unity with workers of other industries and support from society for the striking workers and their demands.
“Last year this time we went on strike and came to the corporation and managed to get our three months of unpaid wages. Now after one year it’s evident that all the promises of the governor and provincial governor were empty. We asked for the dismissal of Mr Afshar, who was one of the leaders in the embezzlement, and that happened too. We managed all of that with our own power.” said the wife of a striking worker at the assembly which was welcomed with cheering and clapping. At the end of the speech, she called on all workers’ organisations in Iran who also suffer from poverty to join the strike. She also thanked workers of Haft Tapeh for inviting the families to their assembly.
Some of the demands of the Haft Tapeh workers that were agreed on in the Workers’ Public Assembly are: Abolishment of private ownership of the corporation -An end to the system of embezzlement, theft and financial corruption -Restart of production lines-Providing job security -Running of the corporation under supervision of the Workers’ Council-Immediate payment of unpaid wages -Safety in the workplace
Permanent contracts
-“Unite! Unite!” steel workers in Iran respond to call from sugar cane workers
video for facebook https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/345082246055548/
On 14th November 2018, the fifth day of the strike, the workers of the Steel National Group of Ahwaz in Khuzestan province, Iran, marched towards the provincial governor’s office and held their assembly there.
The workers responded to a call for unity from the protesting sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh with slogans of “National Group, Haft Tapeh. Unite! Unite!”. The sugar cane workers, who face similar issues to the steel workers, are currently on strike and have been protesting to get their demands met.
The workers announced that they will continue to protest until all of their demands are met: Full payment of all of their unpaid wages -Restart of the production lines
Elimination of threat of unemployment and loss of jobs -Supply of raw materials
Job security -An end to the system of embezzlement and theft -Dismissal of those who have been involved in embezzlements-Right to organize-Right to independent workers’ council
-Families of students support striking teachers and their demands in Iran
video for facebook https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/362464044489913/
pictures – they are no in an album so please click next for more pics when you open the link https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/photos/a.889348071099132/2159947470705846/?type=3&theater
On 13th November 2018, teachers in several provinces in Iran went on strike. The strike was called by the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Associations of Iran and was welcomed by teachers, students and their families.
Teachers held banners and shared pictures on social media to emphasise their demands: Free education for all -An end to the privatisation of schools -An end to the commercialisation of education -An end to unfair contracts-Raising wages to above the poverty line-Free comprehensive insurance for all-An end to militarising protests
Release of all arrested teachers-Securing safety of schools-Job security of teachers
The striking teachers also voiced their objection to poverty and the high prices of goods, which the vast majority of people in Iran can relate to.
Families of some of the students came to the schools with banners in support of the striking teachers and took to social media to express their solidarity.
-Strong presence of Steel National Group workers in the streets of Ahwaz
video for facebook https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/2167689016891418/
On 12th November 2018, workers of the Ahwaz Steel National Group in Iran gathered for the third consecutive day in front of the governor’s office after marching in the streets of Ahwaz shouting slogans.
The main objections and demands of the workers are non-payment of their wages for four months, reinstatement of their expelled colleagues, supply of raw materials, restarting the production line and job security.
In the protest, the workers reiterated their right to organise and emphasised the urgency and necessity of forming independent workers’ councils so that they can decide their future and to put an end to corruption and embezzlement.
In the protest the workers shouted slogans about the role the mafia-like directors and the government play in the issues the workers face, the extreme injustice that has been imposed on the workers and against theft and embezzlement that have created many issues for the workers.
The workers shouted slogans to make it clear to the authorities that they are not intimidated by their threats and not afraid of repercussions or imprisonment.
-“Abolish Private Ownership” – striking workers in Iran fight to implement their Workers’ Council decision
video for facebook https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/2624888234445286/
or this one https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/1024139711080726/
On 12th November 2018, workers of the sugar cane factory Haft Tapeh in Khuzestan province in Iran entered their 8th day of strike for the demands they had agreed on in their Workers’ Council: Immediate payment of unpaid wages-Job security -Safety in the workplace -Permanent contracts-Immediate restart of the production lines -Abolishment of private ownership of the factory (and in case of government takeover of the factory it must work under supervision of the Workers’ Council)
The governor of Khuzestan province, Mr Gholamreza Shariati, confirmed that the protests by the workers are caused by unpaid wages and the shambolic management of the corporation but denied any responsibility with regard to ownership of the corporation. His silence on embezzlement and theft by the directors – which had been exposed by the Workers’ Council – is seen as an attempt to deemphasise and ignore the financial corruption.
At the assembly of the striking workers, the elected workers’ representatives reported the progress of the Workers’ Council and their meetings with the authorities. The final words of the Workers’ Council to the authorities were: “the workers have the final say” and “the responsibility of the representatives is to report to the workers.”
-Sarcheshmeh Copper workers in Iran demand equal pay and permanent contracts
According to reports, on 12th November 2018, over 300 Sarcheshmeh Copper workers in Kerman province in Iran who are employed by the Aryanaran Contractor Corporation, demanded permanent contracts and equal payment to those who have permanent contracts already.
The workers who have more than 12 years work experience, worry about their job security and suffer from poverty. The workers have protested about these issues in the past, even going to the Ministry of Industry and Mining and the office of President Rouhani, but none of their demands has been met. They are still on temporary contracts and their pay is way below the poverty line which puts them under extreme pressure.
-Workers of Urban Train Project strike and protest in Ahwaz over 17 months of unpaid wages
On 12th November 2018, workers of the Urban Train Project in Ahwaz in Khuzestan province, Iran, stopped working and protested for the second day over non-payment of their wages.
The striking workers have not been paid for 17 months for their work on the project. On 11th November, some of the members of the board of directors of the project attended the workers’ assembly and said that there are not enough funds to pay the workers.
The workers demand immediate payment of their wages and regard the excuses of the directors as “theft and embezzlement”.
-Municipality workers of Khanafereh, Iran, protest over non-payment of wages
On 12th November 2018, municipality workers of Khanafereh in Khuzestan province, Iran, protested over the non-payment of 6 months of their wages.
The workers who gathered in front of the municipality office stopped working for a few hours and said that they will go on strike if their wages are not paid.
Several municipality workers in different cities face similar issues. Non-payment of wages of municipality workers is widespread in Iran and the workers have been protesting to get paid for the work they do.
-Coal miners in Kerman province hold assembly to protest low wages
On 10th November 2018, over 3000 coal miners of Kerman province in Iran held an assembly in their workplace to protest their low wages.
The workers say that their wages are below the poverty line and they are not getting bonuses and benefits that they are supposed to get.
The miners, like many workers of other industries and sectors in Iran, suffer from poverty and can’t afford the basics. They try to make ends meet on the low wages and with high prices of goods and the inflation.
-Hospital staff in Karaj, Iran, hold assembly to continue protest over non-payment of wages
On 12th November 2018, staff of Imam Khomeini Hospital of Karaj, Iran, held an assembly in the assembly hall of the hospital.
The hospital workers who have not been paid for 12 months have been protesting over non-payment of wages, uncertainty of the future of the hospital and the threat of job losses, as the hospital has been sold off to the private sector and none of the contracts has been renewed. There are also news about the possible closure of the hospital.
-New protests by Ahwaz Steel National Group workers in Iran hit the streets –
“We are not afraid!”
On 10th November 2018, workers of the Ahwaz Steel National Group in Iran protested in front of the governor’s office.
In the protest the workers shouted slogans against injustice, corruption, the role of the mafia (with reference to the authorities), poverty and four months of unpaid wages. The determined workers shouted slogans to show that they are not intimidated by the threats from the authorities and not afraid of prison or persecution.
On 5th November, Mr Nemati-Nejhad, a member of the board of directors of the corporation, had attended a workers’ assembly and had promised to pay their overdue wages. But the workers who had “heard it before” told him that they would protest again if the board failed to fulfil their promise.
The more than 4000 workers worry about the future of the corporation; production lines are closing down because of a lack of raw materials
Urban Train workers in Tehran hold assembly over unpaid wages
On 10th November 2018, workers of line 6 of Urban Train Lines of Tehran, Iran, held an assembly in front of the corporation’s central office to protest against the non-payment of their wages.
The board of directors of the corporation had promised to pay 2 months of their 6 months of unpaid wages by 5th November, but the workers didn’t receive any money. The workers are also owed their New Year bonuses.
The workers regard their employer’s behaviour as “bullying” and demand immediate payment of the 6 months of unpaid wages.
-Fifth day of protest by municipality workers of Falahieh in Ahwaz, Iran, over unpaid wages
On 10th November 2018, green space workers of Falahieh municipality in Ahwaz, Iran, held another assembly to protest the non-payment of their wages. The assembly took place in front of the governor’s office of Khuzestan province and the workers protested the non-payment of 8 months of their wages.
It’s the fifth day that the workers have been protesting their unpaid wages but the authorities refuse to pay or to tell the workers exactly when they will receive the money they are owed.
-Workers’ Council decides: sugar cane workers in Iran go on strike and want to abolish private ownership of the corporation
On 10th November 2018, sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh in Khuzestan province in Iran continued their strike for the 6th day.
The workers who have not been paid for four months and who are worried about the future of the corporation, decided in their workers’ council meeting to go on strike as the directors of the corporation failed to pay their wages and to provide answers with regard to the issue of embezzlement.
The workers’ council demands the abolishment of the private ownership of the corporation – which they regard as part of a “system of embezzlement”.
In a public assembly on 8th November 2018, the elected representative of the workers, Mr Esmail Bakhshi, announced the decision of the workers’ council of Haft Tapeh to abolish private ownership of the corporation and declared that if the government wishes to take over it must work under the supervision of the workers’ council.
-Sugar cane workers protest in Shush, Iran, and call for unity with workers of other industries
video for facebook https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/256590405027906/
On 13th November 2018, striking workers of Haft Tapeh sugar cane factory in Khuzestan province in Iran, took to the streets and gathered in front of the governor’s office.
The striking workers who have formed a Workers’ Council chanted slogans urging workers of other industries to unite. “Steel, Haft Tapeh. Unite! Unite!” was a direct call to workers of the Steel National Group of Ahwaz who are also currently on strike.
Some of the slogans that the workers chanted in the protest:
“Don’t be afraid, we are all together.”
“Down with the oppressor, long live workers!”
“Neither threats nor prison are any longer effective.”
Haft Tapeh workers made it clear in their protests that they are neither intimidated by nor afraid of the authorities.
-Steel workers protest in front of Judiciary and Central National Bank in Iran
video for facebook https://www.facebook.com/wpiran/videos/2195161920740131/
On 13th November 2018, striking workers of the Steel National Group of Ahwaz in Khuzestan province, Iran, continued their protest by gathering in front of the Judiciary, chanting slogans to show that they are “not afraid“ of the oppression by the government. They chanted: “Neither threats nor prison are any longer effective.”
The workers then continued their protest in front of the building of the Central National Bank in Ahwaz, which is the current owner of the Steel National Group of Ahwaz.
The striking workers marched in the streets of Ahwaz, chanting slogans against injustice, unfair conditions for workers, embezzlement, corruption and indifference of the authorities to the situation of the workers.
The striking workers emphasised the necessity of having the right to organise and forming independent workers’ councils.
-Teachers’ Associations of Iran call for another two-day nationwide strike
On 8th November 2018, the Coordinating Council of the Teachers’ Associations of Iran published a statement detailing the issues teachers face and calls for another two-day nationwide strike on 13th and 14th November 2018.
The statement that addresses teachers, students and their parents, and people of Iran starts with “as you all know, the education system in Iran faces a grave crisis and many challenges, and the authorities show no interest in solving them, otherwise they wouldn’t close their ears and eyes to the demands of the teachers. We have had many meetings, written many letters, have had many petitions, held assemblies and picket lines but we haven’t seen a single positive move from the government and members of the parliament.”
In the statement, the Coordinating Council points out that the authorities not only ignore the teachers’ demands, but that they are in the process of imposing new contracts that exploit the teachers even more than before. It also mentions the unfair and insulting attitude of some of the members of parliament towards the teachers.
The statement describes the situation of teachers, the way the authorities have dealt with their issues, their right to organise and protest, corruption in the education system, the strength of the teachers, their reliance on popular support and their own channels to tell their news. The Coordinating Council calls for another two-day nationwide strike with the aim of forcing the authorities to take responsibility, to provide free quality education for all and to stop the attacks on the “welfare and dignity” of the teachers.
The Coordinating Council outlines the teachers’ demands for fair contracts and working conditions, free education for all, an end to the persecution and oppression of teachers and the release of all detained teachers.
-More international support for striking truck drivers in Iran as the strike expands to 60 cities
On 4th November 2018, seven days after the truck drivers’ resumed their strike in Iran, it expanded to 65 cities.
“I report to you from Bandar Abbas port. Despite the fact that news about the strike hasn’t been widely delivered, this place used to be full of trucks but now it’s very quiet. Our strike and protest is to free our dear colleagues who have been arrested.” writes a striking driver.
In the previous strike, 262 drivers were arrested and 17 have been threatened with execution which was strongly condemned by the international workers’ community. The most recent support for the drivers in Iran comes from the United Road Transport Union in the UK and the Union of Transport Services in Germany.
-‘Pay or we take it to the streets’ unpaid sugar cane workers in Iran told the authorities
On 7th November 2018, sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh in Khuzestan province entered their third day of the strike and held an assembly in front of the directors’ office of the corporation.
The workers protest against the empty promises of the employers to pay their delayed wages which have not been paid for three months.
The workers issued an ultimatum to the authorities: “if we are not paid by 10th November, we will take the protest to the streets!”
In a meeting of the provincial council with representatives of the workers and employers it was agreed that workers’ wages would be credited to their account every month. However, the workers were not paid on the agreed date and told that “wages are suspended until further notice.” The workers regard this as “embezzlement and bullying.”
-Workers in Iran brand monthly contracts “slave-like”
On 5th November 2018, over 900 workers of Rim Production of Mashahd in Khorasan province in Iran held an assembly to protest against unpaid wages as well as the newly introduced monthly contracts which they consider “slave-like”.
The workers say that since December 2017, when the new management came in, there have been delays in the payment of their wages and that the length of their contracts has been reduced from twelve months to one month.
The new contracts allow the employers to dismiss the workers whenever they like and since the new management came in, the factory’s production output has declined which makes the workers worried about their job security.
-Municipality workers of Falahieh in Ahwaz, Iran, hold assembly to protest non-payment of wages
On 5th November 2018, a group of workers of Falahieh municipality in Ahwaz, Iran, gathered in front of the governor’s office to protest the non-payment of their wages for 8 months.
Unpaid wages and delay in the payment of wages of workers is a widespread issue for workers in Iran, and there have been many protests and strikes regarding the matter.
shahla.Daneshfar2@gmail.com
November16, 2018
https://free-them-now.com
Workers Solidarity Network of the Middle East and North Africa