Producer: David Aram
News headlines from some labor protests in October, 2017
Workers Solidarity Network of the Middle East and North Africa (Coordinator: shahla.daneshfar2@gamil.com)
On the 25th of October, the workers of Pars Rubber Co., which manufactures heavy-duty car’s tier and subsidiaries of the Industry entered the second week of their strike. The reason for this strikewas that the company’s directors received astronomical salaries and extensive unemployment.
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– On Oct. 24, around 40 employees of the Persian Gulf Star Refinery headquarters in Tehran gathered in front of the refinery’s office in Tehran.
On Oct 24, 300 workers from the Persian Gulf Transportation Company held their second day of protest against Islamshahr governorate. 1200 workers of this company face the problem of paying their wages and salary from May.
On Oct 23: A group of 600 corporate employees of the SADERAT Bank, who were fired from the beginning of October, gathered in front of the assembly.
On Oct 23, Petrochemical workers gathered for a third consecutive day in protest of the postponement of their wages.
On October 22, Hepco workers in Arak gathered in front of the governorate of the city in protest of their three months’ salary and other arrears, due to their uncertainties job situation. The protests of the Hepco workers in September, along with Azarab workers, Their protest against the oppression of the police and the embezzlement, abusive and repression of the government and their radical slogans and protests reflected a widespread repression in the city of Arak and the whole of the society, with a wave of solidarity among the workers.
On the 22nd of October, about 400 workers of the South Pars phases 15 and 16 in protested against two months delay in payment of salaries and their low wages. At present, a social movement is underway to protest the lower salary levels. The movement, with the slogan of the poverty line is 4 million,(toman Iranian currency) , our wages is only one million expresses its desire to have a human life.
October 22, The protest of the Tabriz Combined Workers (Azerbaijan Industry Development), Entered the tenth day.
October 22, several thousand industrial workers, forest guards and a group of retired workers from the Mazandaran wood and paper factory gathered in the factory to protest against their non-payment of 2 months of salariea.
During the, 21st , 22th and 23th of October, a group of unemployed youth in Abadan gathered in protest of widespread unemployment and discrimination and inequality against the city’s governorate building.
October 21, workers from Isfahan casting industry gathered for 16 months of overdue rights and other claims that did not respond to one year after the complaint.
October 21, workers from the Mahshahr Port Petrochemical Company, stopped working due to lack of payment of some of their demands, such as the right to work and added pay for bad weather.
Oct. 21 More than 100 medical personnel from the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Falavarjan, Esfahan, gathered in protest against wage arrears. It has been estimated that nearly one year has not been paid for their wages and salaries. Nurses speak of their hard work and long night shifts.
October 18, Workers in Phases 22 and 24 of South Pars stationed of Kangan province stopped working in protest of non-payment of 4 months of salary and gathered front of these phases. The workers were also struck at the week before. The employer came to the workers’ meeting and promised to pay their wages.
October 18, 140 employees of the Abadan Bus Company gathered in front of the low level of salaries and months of their payment, disengagement from the carriageway and the entrance door of the company.
October 18, 90 workers from the Abadan Municipal Civil Construction Organization stopped working at their work in protest against the non-payment of one month’s salary and a couple of months of premium.
October 18, A group of workers working at the “Development of Azerbaijani Industry Development” factory, as they did yesterday, complained about the fact that they did not pay their wage demands on the factory’s premises today.
October 16, following the announcement of the termination of the Contractor’s contract for the Pardisan Park, a group of these workers sat in front of the building of the Environmental Protection Agency in the park.
October 16, a number of workers working on the reconstruction and restoration project of the old Bam citadel once again set up a protest rally for their wage arrears.
October 14, a number of workers at Tabriz Ball Manufacturing Factory gathered in front of the East Azerbaijan Governorate in protest against payment of their 7-month wage claims.
October 14, a number of employs and dismissed workers at the Emerging factory were gathered in the factory. Under pressure from the protests, a meeting was held Tuesday at the Islamshahr Labor Office. The workers protested that they did not have a 5-month premium of 94 and 95 years and did not pay 14 to 15 months of wages of 95 and 96 years.
October 14, Steelworkers in Gainat gathered in protest against the delay in paying their 5-month pay and prevented the employer from entering the factory.
October 14, Preschool Teachers Meeting with the General Directorate of Education in Guilan for the second day with a desire to recruit in education
The families of the backpack carrier who were killed in the Baneh city by governments police forces gathered in front of the building of the Judiciary Organization of the Armed Forces in Sanandaj.
On October 10 and 30, gathered in front of the Government’s Planning and Budget Organization office. The population was large and retirees from other cities were also present and the presence of women was very impressive. In this move, the protest crowd protested with their slogans against poverty, thefts, discrimination, and inequality. Emphasized solidarity. And called for salaries to rise above the poverty line of 4 million, (toman Iranian currency), free treatment and a human life.
On October 24, More than 700 retired steelworkers gathered in front of the governorate to protest against the payment of a month’s salary and pay a salary in time. They closed the street. The workers also gathered in the same place on the tenth of October. These workers are protesting the low level of salaries.
On October 24, Mohammad Jarrahi, a popular worker, a militant and leftist worker, was buried in Tabriz’s Wadi Rah mat Cemetery with the presence of family members, colleagues and a large number of people in Tabriz. At his memorial the speakers talked Against the Trojan of Capitalism and that socialism was the only way to liberation and solidarity of the workers. This ceremony ended with the International Anthem.
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-On October 28, Mahmoud Salehi, a prominent figure and worker activists, was detained by the Islamic Republic’s secret police in front of the hospital door while the dialysis machine was attached to him and transferred to Saqez prison for a one-year imprisonment.
Arresting Mahmoud Salehi while undergoing hospitalization and dialysis, while he is in dire need of dialysis every week, and his failure to do so puts him at risk. Highlights the cruelty of the criminal Islamic regime.
Mahmoud Salehi has been infected with a variety of diseases in the prisons of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and his arrest, while he needs the regular care of his kidneys, is playing with his life. The Islamic Republic is responsible for everything that happens to Mahmoud Salehi. We strongly condemn this brutalization of the Islamic regime and call for its immediate release.
-The latest news from imprisoned teachers:
Esmail Abdi and Mahmoud Beheshti. Two members of the board of of Teachers Association of Tehran are in Quarantine Sect of Evin. According to the news on October 24, criminal agents of the security guards of Evin Prison raided this section, which is currently the location of a number of political prisoners, and intercepted political prisoners while breaking glasses.
In addition, Mohsen Omrani, a protesting teacher in Bushehr and Mokhtar Asadi, a member of the Kurdish Teachers’ Association, are sentenced to one year in prison. An important challenge for teachers is the freedom of teachers and all political prisoners. Teachers have expressed this call repeatedly in their protests and campaigns.
– Reza Shahabi, a member the executive board of the Union of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs, has been sentenced to more than 968 more days of imprisonment, despite having spent six years in jail. He went on hunger strike in protest of this verdict. After an extended campaign of support and solidarity with him, after 50 days, he terminated his hunger strike by promising the prosecutor to prosecute his case. But nothing has been done for him yet. Among them, on October 26, it was decided to transfer him to the hospital due to his bad condition, but according to a report released by his wife, Robabeh Rezaie, because he did not want chains on his hands and feet, so, they cancelled.
– Jafar Azimzadeh, head of the board of directors of the Free Trade Union of Workers of Iran, by enforcment order byThe judicial authorities has been pressured to return him to jail.
The news of Mahmoud Salehi’s arrest accompanied many protests. Workers’ associations such as the Kermanshah Electric and Metal Workers Association, the Free Trade Union of Workers of Iran, have condemned this brutal arrest and demanded an immediate release from prison.
In addition, there is now a powerful campaign inside and globally for the release of him and Reza Shahabi, Esmail Abdi , Mahmoud Beheshti, Mohsen Amrani, Mokhtar Asadi, Athena Permanent and all political prisoners. Also in protest of the pressure to bring Jafar Azimzadeh to jail, a mass protest has been launched. Please support us and support Campaign Against Securitizing Workers’, Teachers’, and the General Public’s Protests in Iran.