Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers in Iran go on strike in support of their leader, Esmaeil Bakhshi
On 25th January 2019, sugar cane workers of different sections of Haft Tapeh in Khuzestan province, Iran, went on strike to protest against the re-arrest of their leader Esmaeil Bakhshi. The workers also strongly objected to the broadcast of the reportage ‘Burnt Plot’ on state television, that sought to build a ‘security case’ against Bakhshi.
The workers gathered in their workplace and expressed their objection to the ongoing propaganda against Esmaeil Bakhshi and the sugar cane workers following the forced confession of Esmaeil Bakhshi and its broadcast.
The workers say that the regime’s accusation that the sugar cane workers are collaborating with the US government is a disgraceful lie and rotten propaganda. They state that they are not intimidated and will not keep quiet.
The broadcast of ‘Burnt Plot’ and the re-arrest of workers’ activists has outraged many in Iran. There has been widespread condemnation of the persecution and the propaganda against the activists.
Teachers and retired teachers protest for their demands in Kermanshah, Iran
On 26th January 2019, teachers and retired teachers in Kermanshah, Iran, held an assembly and protested for their long-standing unanswered demands.
The protest took place in front of the office of the Ministry of Education in Kermanshah. The teachers and retired teachers demand:
Raising their wages to above poverty line
Free healthcare for all
Free education for all
And end to the privatisation of schools
Quality education for all
Safety standards for schools
An end to embezzlements
Return of embezzled funds and pensions
An end to ‘security cases’ against against activists
An end to the militarised environment in protests and in workplaces
Immediate and unconditional release of jailed teachers
-On 26th January 2019, municipality workers in Marivan in Kurdistan province, Iran, held their fifth day of strike and protested against the non-payment of their wages. The workers who haven’t been paid for 6 months gathered in front of the city’s municipality building. Non-payment of wages has put the workers and their families under immense pressure.
-On 25th January 2019, workers of Wood Frame factory in Sangdeh in Mazandaran province, Iran, kicked the factory’s owner out from his office in objection to non-payment of their wages and expulsion of four of their colleagues who were workers’ activists.
The angry workers shouted at the owner “We want our wages now”.
-On 25th January 2019, workers of Farsit factory in Dorud city in Lorestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the factory and protested against the expulsion of workers.
-On 24th January 2019, sacked workers of Karoon Chipboard company held an assembly in front of the governor’s office of Karun city to protest against their expulsion.
-On 24th January 2019, workers of National High Voltage, who have been protesting for fair contracts, managed to get permanent contracts for 1000 workers.
-On 24th January 2019, unemployed youths in Abadan in Khuzestan province, gathered in Amiri street and demanded jobs or adequate unemployment payment.
Unemployed youths block entrance to Asaluyeh’s Pars Special Economic Zone
-On 21st January 2019, a group of unemployed youths gathered in front of Pars Special Economic Zone in Asaluyeh in Bushehr province, Iran, and demanded jobs. The unemployed youths blocked the entrance as the police attacked and arrested some of them.
-On 22 January, a group of expelled workers of Pars Petrochemical company in Asaluyeh also gathered in front of the complex. The police arrested some of the unemployed workers.
Unemployment and lack of unemployment benefits has pushed many into poverty and destitution. Many unemployed workers demand either jobs or adequate unemployment benefits.
Teachers and retired teachers in Iran: “Neither arms nor documentaries are any longer effective”
On 22nd January 2019, teachers and retired teachers in Tehran, Iran, held an assembly in front of the Ministry of Labour to protest against poverty and oppression, and for their long-standing unanswered demands.
The protesters chanted “Neither arms nor documentaries are any longer effective”, objecting to the militarisation of the workers’ protests and the publication of propaganda pieces against activists – with reference to a recent reportage by the news agency of the Islamic Republic of Iran to discredit the protest of the sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh and their leader, Esmaeil Bakhshi.
Teachers and retired teachers demanded the release of all imprisoned teachers and political activists and held the government accountable for the oppression and the widespread poverty in Iran.
The large group of protesters held banners that reflected their anger at the propaganda against the dissenters and shamed the Islamic Republic’s news agency. The banners also reflected their demands for the right to organise and the right to free education and healthcare. They demand freedom, freedom of expression, access to media and call for unity among students, teachers and workers.
Teachers and retired teachers in Iran have been protesting for their demands for a long time but the authorities refuse to answer or to deal with the issues. Some teachers’ activists are behind bars and many more have ‘security’ cases against them. The teachers’ wages are way below the poverty line and many retired teachers haven’t received their pensions and insurance benefits.
-On 23rd January 2019, municipality workers in Shadegan in Khuzestan province, Iran, held another assembly in front of the municipality building to protest against the non-payment of their wages. The workers have not been paid for two months.
-On 23rd January 2019, municipality workers of Borujerd in Lorestan province, Iran, held their fifth consecutive assembly this week to protest against the non-payment of their wages. The workers who haven’t been paid for 9 months protested in front of the central municipality building.
-On 22nd January 2019, municipality workers of Andimeshk in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the governor’s office to protest against their wages remaining unpaid after 8 months and outstanding insurance contribution payments.
-On 22nd January 2019, workers of lock manufacturing company Ghoflkar gathered in front of the judiciary office in Alborz in Qazvin province, Iran, and protested against the non-payment of their wages.
-On 22nd January 2019, municipality workers of Marivan in the Iranian province of Kurdistan, protested against the non-payment of their wages in front of the municipality building. The workers haven’t been paid for 6 months.
Non-payment of wages has pushed many workers and their families into poverty and destitution.
Workers in Iran: Non-payment of wages is “blatant crime against workers and their families”
Non-payment of wages is widespread in different industries in Iran and many workers and their families have been pushed into poverty and destitution as a result of the embezzlements. The workers consider non-payment of wages as a “blatant crime against the workers”.
-On 19th January 2019, municipality workers in Lowshan in Gilan province, Iran, went on strike and protested over unpaid wages. The workers are owed 7 months of their wages and insurance contribution money.
-On 18th January 2019, workers of the urban train project in Ahvaz in Khuzestan province, Iran, held another assembly in front of the project’s office in Ahvaz to protest against the non-payment of 18 months of their wages.
-On 18th January 2019, municipality workers in Borujerd in Lorestan province, Iran, went on strike and gathered in front of the municipality building to protest against the non-payment of 9 months of their wages.
-On 16th January 2019, workers of the urban train project in Kermanshah in Iran, went on strike and protested in their workplace over unpaid wages. The workers have not been paid for 7 months.
-On 16th January 2019, workers of Petrochemical Site 2 in the Industrial Complex of Asaluyeh in Bushehr province, Iran, held their third assembly to protest against the non-payment of their wages. Workers of some other sections in the industrial complex are also protesting over unpaid wages.
Retired teachers in Iran reject government’s “supplementary insurance” and demand “free healthcare for all”
-On 14th January 2019, retired teachers in Iran held an assembly in front of the Islamic Majles (parliament) in Tehran to protest for their demands.
The “Retired Teachers of Park Shahr” called for the protest against “supplementary insurance” which is being implemented by the government. The retirees protest because it doesn’t cover their health insurance.
The retirees who demand free healthcare and adequate insurance chanted slogans against the imposition of poverty, injustice, corruption, embezzlement and demand the release of the imprisoned teachers.
-Haft Tapeh sugar cane company pays as workers start their strike over non-payment of wages
On 14th January 2019, the Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers in Khuzestan province, Iran, went on strike over non-payment of wages and other demands which were not met after their previous strike.
The strike started when workers of four sections of Haft Tapeh went on strike on 11th and 12th of January over non-payment of three months of their wages and it has now expanded to all sections of the company.
-On 23th January, the employers paid one month of the unpaid wages but the workers say that’s not good enough.
The striking workers demand payment of all of their unpaid wages as well as pursuing other urgent demands such as an end to the “militarised atmosphere” in their workplace and the dismissal of all ‘security cases’ against the striking workers.
Teachers in Yazd, Iran, protest against management system of privatised schools and unpaid wages
On 15th January 2019, teachers of “Supporting Schools” (schools that have been handed over to private owners) in Yazd, Iran, held an assembly to protest against the management system of the schools and a delay in the payment of their wages.
The teachers gathered in front of the provincial governor’s office in Yazd to protest against low standards of the schools, delay in the payment of their wages and the way the schools are run.
Handover of schools to private owners started in 2014 and many teachers’ organisations raised concerns about the decision.
-On 15th January 2019, workers of Kayson Engineering and Construction, a company in charge of urban trains in Ahvaz, Iran, received one month pay of their 19 months of unpaid wages but the workers continue to protest since it’s not clear when they will receive the rest of their outstanding wages.
The workers have held many assemblies in front of the company’s head office but the owners say that “there is no money”, which the workers find unacceptable.
The workers and their families face many financial issues and have been pushed into poverty as a result of not being paid their wages.
Unpaid firefighters in Khuzestan, Iran, don’t have equipment and fire retardant clothing
-On 15th January 2019, firefighters of Abadan municipality in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the governor’s office in the city of Abadan to protest against non-payment of their wages.
The firefighters haven’t been paid for 4 months and are owed 11 months of their insurance contributions. Another issue of the firefighters is that they haven’t received fire retardant clothing for two years.
The fire department has not received any equipment in the past two years as no budget has been allocated to the service.
The firefighters say that the authorities play with their lives and demand urgent attention to the safety of the firefighters and the public.
-On 14th January 2019, unpaid municipality workers in the city of Abadan in Khuzestan province, Iran, blocked the entrance of the municipality building.
The workers who have held other assemblies in the courtyard of the municipality have been disappointed by the city’s deputy mayor who told them that due to financial issues there will be no payment until the end of the (Iranian) year.
The workers don’t accept the excuses and are determined to protest until all of their wages and bonuses are paid.
Non-payment of wages has pushed many workers and their families into poverty.
Iran: steelworkers at the forefront of “battle against corruption, discrimination and injustice”
On 12th January 2019, workers and the families of the four detained steelworkers of the National Steel Group of Ahvaz in Iran held an assembly in front of the judiciary office in Khuzestan province to demand the release of the workers.
The families of Tareq Khalafi, Mohamdreza Nematpour, Behzad Alikhani and Karim Siahi have persistently protested against the arrest of their loved ones but the authorities refuse to answer their demands.
Workers of the National Steel Group have released a statement on their official channel in which the workers thank the Campaign for Freedom of the Steelworkers that was started by the Independent Workers’ Union of Iran and call on the people of Ahvaz, workers, teachers, retirees, students and other parts of society to support the steelworkers, their demands and to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all the workers.
In the statement, the workers emphasise the fundamental right to enjoy a humane life, the right to hold workers’ public assemblies and to form an independent workers’ organisation.
The workers also condemn the presence of security forces in the factory. They demand an end to the militarised atmosphere, an end to making up security cases against the workers, oppression and imprisonment of workers.
“We continue to be at the forefront of the battle against corruption, discrimination, injustice, embezzlement and the theft of society’s wealth. Nothing can stop us from defending our livelihood and life which is deteriorating and our welfare that is being robbed from us”, the statement reads. They blame the governor and prosecutor of Ahvaz for the arrest of the workers.
Four sections of Haft Tapeh sugar cane workers in Iran strike over unpaid wages and job insecurity
On 12th January 2019, workers of four different sections of the Haft Tapeh sugar cane company in Khuzestan province, Iran, continued their strike for the fourth day as the employers failed to fulfil their promises.
The workers went on strike over unpaid wages and temporary contracts which take away their job security.
The workers said that they will go on mass strike if their demands aren’t met.
-On12 January Chavibdeh: Municipality workers of Chavibdeh in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the municipality building to protest against non-payment of four months of their wages.
-On12 January ,Tehran: Expelled drivers of a transport company in Abadan in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the company’s main office in Tehran. 80 to 90 workers who had lost their jobs 6 years ago never received the wages they deserved. In their 20 to 25 years of employment with the company, which is owned by Social Security Investment Co, the workers only got paid for missions.
-On12 January ,Tehran: Retired workers of Kian Tyre held another assembly in front of the Ministry of Industry in Tehran and protested over their outstanding pension money. The retirees who are fed up with the empty promises of the authorities chanted “We don’t want promises, we want our right”, “Incompetent authorities, resign, resign”, “We stay here until we get an answer”, and other slogans against embezzlement.
-On12 January .Abadan: Municipality workers of Abadan in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the city’s municipality building to protest against non-payment of their wages.
– On12 January ,Shadegan: Municipality workers of Shadegan in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the city’s municipality building to protest against non-payment of their wages.