Producer: David Aram
News headlines from some labor protests in July 3 to July 24, 2017
Workers Solidarity Network of the Middle East and North Africa (Coordinator: shahla.daneshfar2@gamil.com (
– July 24, recruited and retired workers on sugar cane went on strike. In this day workers’ families gathered in front of the company’s door and joined the industrial workers protest. Then the workers left the company and together with their families they closed the road to the seven hills and stopped the traffic of the vehicles. Workers announced that they will continue to strike and rally along the road tomorrow. ON the other hand on July 23, after about two months protest, 341 retired ( Haft tapeh) sugar cane continued their protest Because of the employer did not fulfil his promises .
Workers at the giant Haft Tapeh sugar cane plantation and mill complex in the southern city of Shush have always had to fight for their wages and their rights. In 2008, workers formed an independent union – affiliated to the IUF – following a 42-day strike to demand long-standing wage arrears. Union leaders have endured arrest, prison and blacklisting.
Since October last year, workers have had to repeatedly hold strikes and demonstration to demand payment of wages and benefits, most recently in June this year. Thousands of workers have not been paid their wages for two months and as many as four. Pension benefits have been suspended in recent months because of the company’s failure to pay their 4% of the workers’ premiums into the state social security since March 2017 that these 341 workers have been retired.
Over half the plantation and mill workers have no permanent employment contracts and live in permanent insecurity. Current and retired workers and their family members have been harassed and threatened with closure of the company if they continue to demand their rights; workers are routinely harassed, dismissed and kept under constant surveillance of the security forces.
The Haft Tapeh workers are demanding full payment of wage and benefit arrears; recognition of the union as the workers’ legal representative. International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Association (IUF) With publication of a petition has supported demands and struggles of the the workers of Haft Tapeh and called all trade unions around the world and all the workers’ rights advocates, for the supporting of the demands of the these workers. Please Sign it and join it.
Also Labour start called for international solidarity with the workers of Haft Tapeh. Please sign it.
– July 24, National protests of 8 Areas of Municipal workers in Ahvaz city in the sought of Iran. In this day a group of these workers representing more than 5,000 of their colleagues, gathered in front of the governor’s building in Khuzestan Province and demanded to transform their contracts with middle hands to direct contract with municipality.
in addition, These workers demanded their more than two months unpaid wages.
– On Saturday, July 23, a group of retired steel workers from around the country travelled to Tehran for a number of occasions during the past six months in front of the headquarters of the Steel Fund. Since 2012, part of the retirement benefits due to the implementation and reinstatement of suspended sentences and the right to care have not been paid. The retirees of the steel industry are demanding that the requirements of the relevant rulings be updated. A dilemma 86 thousand retired steel industry pensioners several times below the poverty line, and the exclusion of any supplies such as free treatment, free education for their children, housing facilities. These are the basic problems of workers, teachers, nurses and a large part of the people Teachers; retirees in their gatherings have repeatedly called for salaries to rise above the poverty line, more than 4 million USD, and free health insurance and free education for their children.
-July 24, The Hepco factory workers who had been forced for two weeks returned to their job. The workers began their protests And they demanded four months and a half of their wages and job security. It has been promised that the construction of three thousand road construction machines will begin and workers will be employed, Workers say the protests will start wider if the factory does not come and their demands are not paid.
-Mohsen Omrani has sentenced to one-year imprisonment. Teachers have the petition in support of him. More than 1,800 teachers and activists has signed this petition and demanded his release.. Please support this Campaign.
-June 30, Telecommunications workers in Lorestan gathered to demand to return to the work of expelled colleagues. Eight days have passed since their expulsion and their protest rally, but despite the promises made, no action has been taken. In this gathering, the families of expulsion workers were also involved.
– On the morning of Tuesday, June 28th, a group of Ardabil iron smelters workers refused to eat food at the factory in protest of their uncertain employment status and failure to pay their 18 months’ salary.
-on June 28th, The protest of the workers of the Mashhad rolling mill, in which at least 800 workers are employed, is temporarily closed, Taking a look at the promises made by government officials that will be considered within one month of their demands, it has been temporarily terminated.
-on June 28th the company’s workers from the Transportation Administration of Isfahan gathered in front of the governorate of Isfahan. To protest against the payment of eight months’ salary.
-June 26, More than 150 employees of Fars Company Telecommunication Company from different cities of Fars province in protest against the failure to implement the classification of occupations, the reduction of the occupational groups of employees after privatization, and They gathered in front of the office of the General Directorate of this province.
– On the eve of June 10th, Zaidabad Municipality workers gathered in protest against the non-payment of salary payments for months In front of the municipality building.
-on June 13th Unicorn drivers of 4 lines of area protested to the lack of charge for their bins. by Turning on their buses lights, Management and protection urged drivers to silence their protest.
– On the 14th of April, The staff of Atbin Company by closing the street in front of the Alborz General Office, due to the non-payment of nine months’ salary. Atbin is a major fellow at Iran’s military and atomic industries.
– On the morning of June 16th, more than 100 employees of the Ilam Petrochemical Complex gathered in protest of non-payment of claims and no appointment of residential units in front of the hall of management.
– More than 500 brokers from the Agricultural Insurance Fund came to Tehran from across the country on June 16 and gathered to protest their uncertainties In front of the organization of management and planning of the country.
-On Sunday, June 16, 80 workers from the” Pars Ghou” Vegetable Oil were in protest of non-payment of more than three months’ wages, as well as the vagueness of the fate of the factory reopening and getting unemployed, they gathered in the factory.
– On July 17, workers at the Azarab factory in Arak protested protesting the delay in paying half the wages of March and the wages of April, May, June and July, and promises of management. The factory employs about 2,000 workers.
-July 8, The strike of the workers of the Azar Ilam Oil Center began on the June 22 and more and more workers and employees of the technical and engineering offices of the company also joined the strike And the strikers reached 400, Workers’ protest is the unpaid wages and annual reword. During the strike, 150 workers were fired and the workers continued their protest in pursuit of their demands and to return to their dismissed colleagues.
Workers of the world united
Workers Solidarity Network of the Middle East and North Africa
Coordinator:shahla.daneshfar2@gamil.com