On Monday, May 19th, retired telecommunication workers held coordinated protests in cities including Tehran, Tabriz, Kermanshah, Shiraz, Isfahan, Sanandaj, and others, continuing their weekly demonstrations to demand improved pension conditions and fulfillment of financial obligations.
Protesters chanted slogans such as:
- “Retiree, rise up to end discrimination!”
- “One less embezzlement, and our problems would be solved!”
- “High-income company, what happened to you?”
- “We don’t want an incompetent minister!”
In Tehran, a large crowd of retirees gathered, highlighting corruption and mismanagement in the telecom sector. In Kermanshah, protesters marched while condemning poverty, corruption, and inflation. Demonstrators are calling for fair pension adjustments above the cost-of-living threshold, full healthcare coverage, and the enforcement of a long-stalled 2010 employment and welfare bylaw.
They also criticized major shareholders — including the IRGC Cooperative Foundation and the Executive Headquarters of Imam’s Directive (Setad) — for failing to meet their financial commitments and for alleged embezzlement.
In Shiraz, retired workers from the Shiraz Long-Distance Telecommunications Company protested outside the provincial governor’s office, demanding the implementation of past resolutions and payment of long-overdue employment claims dating back to the 2000s.
Meanwhile, retired teachers in Kermanshah and Golestan protested outside provincial education offices, denouncing the looting of the Teachers’ Reserve Fund. They accused state-affiliated institutions of embezzling funds through money laundering in government-backed media and entertainment projects.
These coordinated protests underscore the growing frustration among Iran’s retired workforce over financial insecurity, inequality, and lack of government accountability.