Gathering of Official Oil Workers in the Bahregan and Siri Regions and A new wave of strikes and protests by “third-party” (contract) oil workers has begun
-, on October 29th, official oil workers in the Bahregan region went on strike and gathered from 7 to 9 a.m. The official workers have announced that they will continue their protests until their demands are met.
Yesterday, on October 28th, official workers at the Offshore Oil Company in the Siri region also held a gathering to pursue their demands. Throughout the week, official oil workers have been holding gatherings to press for their demands.
The demands of the official oil workers are nationwide and mainly include:
- Adjustment of workers’ minimum wages,
- Complete removal of the salary cap for workers in operational zones,
- Removal of the cap on retirement benefits,
- Reimbursement of excess taxes collected contrary to the law,
- Prevention of looting of the retirement fund and opposition to its merger with bankrupt funds.
-Strikes and gatherings by third-party and contract workers at the refineries of the South Pars Gas Complex and Fajr Jam Gas Refinery
According to reports published by the Council for Organizing Protests of Unofficial (Third-Party) Oil Workers and Contract Workers, on the morning of October 28, third-party workers at the South Pars Gas Complex refineries in Asaluyeh and Kangan, together with their colleagues at Fajr Jam Gas Refinery, launched the first phase of their strike and in-refinery protest gatherings.
These workers have issued an ultimatum stating that if their demands are not met, their next protest will take place in front of the administrative building of the South Pars Gas Complex and the Asaluyeh Governor’s Office, accompanied by their families. They have declared that they will continue their protests until their demands receive a response.
The complete removal of contracting companies in the oil industry and the conversion of employment status to direct contracts are the workers’ primary demands. Other demands include:
- Revision of the job classification system to ensure wage equalization,
- Implementation of a 2-weeks-on / 2-weeks-off rotational schedule for administrative and support staff,
- Regulation of the employment status of drivers who do not own the leased vehicles they operate,
- Payment of compensation for the suspension of welfare benefits (such as camp housing allowances),
- Provision of air transportation for contract workers, and more.
Third-party oil workers had previously staged a protest over the same demands on October 18 at the Abadan Refinery. They have also called for a new protest on October 31 in front of the office of the President of the Islamic regime of Iran.