Today, Sunday, August 10, retirees from the Social Security Organization gathered in Tehran, Ahvaz, Rasht, and Karaj to protest poverty, insecurity, and to pursue their demands. Retired steelworkers also held a rally in Isfahan.
In Kermanshah, retirees chanted: “Political prisoners must be freed,” “Imprisoned teachers must be freed,” “The result of the government’s work: looting the people’s pockets!” “Unemployment and inflation are the people’s bane,” “The abundance of oppression and injustice has driven us to the streets,” “Street by street, the workers’ stronghold,” and “Enriching life is our inalienable right.”
In Tehran, Social Security retirees from Tehran and Karaj gathered and in protest to everyday electricity outage, chanted: “Water, electricity, life — our inalienable right,” “April arrears must be paid,” “Imprisoned workers and teachers must be freed,” “Social Security — what a wrong name,” and “Free healthcare is our inalienable right!” among other slogans.
In Ahvaz, Social Security retirees, with the slogan “Water, electricity, life — our inalienable right!” represented the voice of protest for the whole society. In the scorching summer heat, they shouted: “The Welfare Bank belongs to us — it is the fruit of our labor,” and “Social Security must be freed from state monopoly,” raising their voices against the ruling plunderers. Retired steelworkers in Isfahan gathered in front of the Pension Fund, chanting: “Hey, head of government, don’t lie to the people,” and “Retiree, shout out, cry for your rights.”.
On the same day, radiology workers held nationwide protests in cities including Tabriz, Kermanshah, Shiraz, and Yazd over their work and livelihood issues. Radiology workers include medical staff in imaging departments, operating equipment such as X-ray machines, CT scanners, MRI machines, mammography, and other imaging technologies. Their urgent demands include the issuance of professional ID numbers, the creation of a Directorate of Radiation Affairs within the Ministry of Health, inclusion under the Productivity Promotion Law, and fair pricing for medical imaging services. In Shiraz, on August 8, clinical radiology workers gathered in front of the main building of the Fars University of Medical Sciences.
The latest news is that today, August 10, contract workers at Razi Petrochemical in Bandar Mahshahr staged a protest against blatant discrimination in the payment of customary benefits and against broken promises. According to reports, a resolution by the Security Council states that all workers in Bandar Mahshahr petrochemical plants must receive customary benefits such as job allowances, transportation allowances, and cost-of-living supplements. However, the employer has blatantly refused to implement this requirement. Around 1,500 contract or third party workers at Razi Petrochemical have been demanding these rightful payments for months. Last March, they wrote to the Labor Department, and twenty days ago, they held another protest where they were promised their demands would be met — but nothing happened. The workers resumed their protest yesterday and declared that they will continue until wage discrimination is eliminated.