-On 27th February 2019, relatives and friends of Esmaeil Bakhshi gathered in front of the governor’s office in Shush city and demanded his release. The protesters held banners that read “Esmaeil Bakhshi must be freed”.
Esmaeil Bakhshi is in critical condition which worries his family, workers and the general public.
The Intelligence Service of the Islamic Republic has put Esmaeil under pressure to take back his claims that he was tortured whilst in custody. After their failed attempts that included spreading rumours, the authorities have put Esmaeil and his family now under pressure to fire his lawyer, Ms Farzaneh Zilabi.
Protests and strikes continue as the authorities in Iran fail to solve issue of non-payment of wages
-On 27th February 2019, municipality workers in Borujerd in Lorestan province, Iran, held their third day of strike and protest against non-payment of their wages. The workers who haven’t been paid for 8 months held an assembly in front of the municipality building and demanded immediate payment of their wages.
-On 26th February 2019, workers of a power plant in Gol-Gohar in Sirjan, Iran, went on strike and protested against non-payment of their wages. The workers haven’t been paid for 5 months.
-On 26th February 2019, rail workers in Tabriz went on strike and protested against non-payment of their wages. Rail workers of Khorasan sent a message of solidarity to the striking workers. One part of the message reads: “We hope for the day when justice will prevail. We are tired of this injustice. Your protest today represents the demand of all rail workers.”
-On 25th February 2019, municipality workers in Ahvaz, Iran, held an assembly in front of the city council building and protested against non-payment of their wages. The workers haven’t been paid for 3 months.
-On 24th February 2019, a large group of retirees held an assembly in front of the Islamic Majles (parliament) in Tehran and protested against the failure of the government to meet their demands.
Several organisations had called for the protest to once again raise their demands and voice their objections.
The organisations included: National Union of Retirees of Iran, 19th Esfand Organisation, Progressive and Justice-seeking Pioneers, a group of retired staff of the Social Security Organisation, Unity of Teachers and Workers, Organisation of Association of Retired Mechanic Metalworkers, Council of Retirees of Iran, and Committee to Pursue Formation of Workers’ Organisation.
Representatives of different sections and industries, including retired teachers, civil servants, steelworkers, staff of the Ministry of Health and universities of medical sciences, chanted slogans against inequality, poverty, incompetence and irresponsibility of the government, high expenses, injustice and oppression, and for free healthcare, education, adequate pensions and welfare.
The retirees chanted “Bread, Prosperity, Freedom”.
The protesters also chanted slogans demanding the release of the jailed teachers, workers and political activists. They also called for unity among the different parts of society for prosperity and freedom.
The retirees also pointed out the widespread embezzlement and corruption which have affected them directly.
At the end of the protest, a resolution was read and the attendees announced that they would hold other protests if their demands were not met and if the jailed teachers, workers and students were not freed.
-On 21st February 2019, rail workers in Sirjan in Hormozgan province, Iran, went on strike and protested against not being paid two months of their wages and one year of their insurance contributions. The workers had previously protested and had warned the authorities that they would go on strike if their wages weren’t paid. Recently, rail workers in other cities have also been protesting against non-payment of their wages.
-On 20th February 2019, telecommunications workers of East Azerbaijan province, Iran, held an assembly to protest against unfair contracts and unequal pay. The workers are hired by contractors.
-On 20th February 2019, workers and ranchers in Aqqala in Golestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the governor’s office of Golestan and protested against non-payment of their wages. The workers and ranchers work for a dairy company in the industrial complex of Aqqala.
-On 20th February 2019, workers of Jahan Vegetable Oil corporation in Zanjan province, Iran, held their 6th day of strike and protested against non-payment of wages and the failure of the authorities to address issues of embezzlements that has brought their workplace to the brink of closure. The workers are owed 8 months of their wages and 28 months of their insurance contribution payments.
-On 19th February 2019, workers of a slaughterhouse in Ilam, Iran, held an assembly in front of the provincial governor’s office to protest against non-payment of their wages and bonuses. The workers are owed one year of wages and bonuses.
-On 19th February 2019, staff of Khomeini hospital in Karaj, Tehran province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the Organisation of Cooperation and Development (Hamyari) to protest against the failure of the authorities to fulfil their promises. Since the hospital was handed over to a private owner, the staff have been left in limbo without payment of their wages. There have been many protests including a march together with the hospital’s patients, but the authorities fail to address the issues.
-On 18th February 2019, municipality workers in Abadan in Khuzestan province, Iran, held another assembly and protested against non-payment of their wages.
-On 17th February 2019, municipality workers in Bostan in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly and protested over unpaid wages and 6 months of their insurance contributions. The workers gathered in front of the municipality building and demanded immediate payment of their wages.
-On 17th February 2019, workers of Isan project (multi purpose construction project) in Tabriz in Azerbaijan province, Iran, held an assembly and protested against non-payment of their wages. The workers have not been paid for 7 months.
-On 16th February 2019, workers of a ball bearing factory in Tabriz, Iran, held an assembly in front of the governor’s office and protested against non-payment of 7 months of their wages. The factory has 220 workers (on permanent and temporary contracts) and despite several strikes and protests over non-payment of wages, refuses to pay.
-On 16th February 2019, retired sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh in Khuzestan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the company’s finance offices over non-payment of their pensions. The workers who retired in 2018 have not received their pensions.
-On 16th February 2019, municipality workers in Sarvabad city in Kurdistan province, Iran, held an assembly in front of the municipality building and protested against non-payment of 7 months of their wages.
-On 16th February 2019, a group of teachers in Qazvin province went on strike in their morning and afternoon schedules to protest against non-payment of their wages and bonuses. The teachers who are on a different contract to the other permanent teachers receive a quarter of what other educators get.
-On 17th February 2019, the family of Esmaeil Bakhshi (the jailed workers’ leader of Haft Tapeh Sugar Cane Corporation in Khuzestan province, Iran) went to Shush prison to ask about Esmaeil but the authorities aggressively rebuffed them. The family insisted and were attacked by the guards; Esmaeil’s mother was arrested.
After the arrest, the mother passed out and was transferred to the prison’s health clinic.
-On 14th February 2019, HEPCO workers in Arak, Iran, were acquitted by the court of appeal.
The HEPCO workers had protested in June 2018 over non-payment of their wages and unclarity of their employment. The authorities arrested many of the workers and 15 of them were sentenced to a one-year suspended prison sentence and 74 lashes for 5 years for “disrupting public order and attending illegal gatherings and protests”.
The arrests and prison and flogging sentences have been widely condemned.
– – Jahan Vegetable Oil CO workers in Zanjan, Iran, protest again as the authorities fail to meet demands
-On 14th February, workers of Jahan Vegetable Oil corporation in Zanjan province, Iran, restarted their protest as the authorities failed to meet their demands.
The workers held an assembly in front of the governor’s office of Zanjan and protested against embezzlements and the threat of closure of their factory. The workers say that the authorities have been promising to solve the issues but failed to act.
In November 2018, after 12 days of strike, the employer was forced to pay the workers’ outstanding wages, re-employ the 19 expelled workers and promised to make sure that the production lines are not shut down but now five months of the workers’ wages remain unpaid and none of the demands have been met.
-On 13th February 2019, workers of Iran Cardboard held an assembly in front of the Social Security Organisation of Iran in Tehran in objection to issues regarding their retirement from this harmful work.
After a lengthy process of negotiations, 350 workers managed to get the approval of the employer for a payment of 4% of their pensions but the Social Security Organisation doesn’t allow the payments.
The protesting workers say the excuses of the authorities are unacceptable.
-On 14th and 15th February 2019, railway workers in several cities of Azerbaijan province, Iran, went on strike and held assemblies to protest against non-payment of their wages. 600 workers took part in the strike.
The striking workers say that they have been struggling with the contractors they are working for embezzling their wages. Railway workers in the provinces of Lorestan and Khuzestan have also been fighting the non-payment of their wages.
Despite several strikes and protests by railway workers in different parts of Iran, the authorities have failed to solve the issue of unpaid wages which has pushed many workers and their families into poverty.
-On 10th February 2019, municipality workers in Kermanshah, Iran, held an assembly to protest against non-payment of their wages. The workers who haven’t been paid for 4 months and haven’t received 8 months of their overtime pay gathered in front of the municipality building, demanding immediate payment of their wages. Many of the workers are on temporary contracts and some of them are paid less than minimum wage.
-On 10th February 2019, cement workers of Sofian Cement in Tabriz, Iran, went on strike to protest against non-payment of their wages. The workers haven’t been paid for 3 months.
On 10th February 2019, textile workers in Hamadan, Iran, went on strike and held an assembly in the factory to protest against non-payment of their wages. The workers have not been paid for 4 months.
On 10th February 2019, street vendors in Abadan in Khuzestan province, Iran, protested against ill-treatment by the authorities. The vendors held banners that read “You don’t give us work, don’t take our work” and “Work is our right”. The vendors are some of the unemployed workers who don’t get any unemployment benefits and are left with no option but to sell goods in the streets. The authorities regard this as illegal and confiscate their goods, often harassing and abusing the unemployed workers.
-On 10th February 2019, street vendors in Abadan in Khuzestan province, Iran, protested against ill-treatment by the authorities. The vendors held banners that read “You don’t give us work, don’t take our work” and “Work is our right”. The vendors are some of the unemployed workers who don’t get any unemployment benefits and are left with no option but to sell goods in the streets. The authorities regard this as illegal and confiscate their goods, often harassing and abusing the unemployed workers.
Determined teachers and retired teachers in Iran continue their struggle in different cities
-On 14th February 2019, teachers and retired teachers in Iran protested for their long-standing demands and for freedom of the jailed teachers.
Teachers and retired teachers held their assemblies in front of offices of ministry of education in cities of Urmia, Ardabil, Kermanshah, Sanandaj, Marivan, and Mashhad.
Teachers and retired teachers who have announced that their first demand as “immediate and unconditional release of the jailed teachers”, held banner and chanted slogans that reflected reasons for their struggle:
- Immediate and unconditional release of the jailed teachers
- Raise of their wages to above poverty line
- Free healthcare for all
- Free education for all
- Abolish of privatisation of schools
- Quality education for all
- Safety for schools
- End to embezzlements
- Return of embezzled funds and pensions
- End to security cases against against activists
- End to security environment in protests and in workplaces
In Kermanshah and Snandaj the protestors emphasised on call for unity employed and unemployed workers.
The teachers and retired teachers in all cities showed unity in demand for freedom of jailed workers and determination for claiming their rights.
Teachers and retired teachers in Tehran have called for a protest on 19th February 2019 in front of ministry of labour.
-On 7th February 2019, teachers and retired teachers in Isfahan gathered under Zayanderud bridge, in front of Kowsar Hotel in support of the farmers’ “water share” struggle. The protestors chanted slogans against injustices, arrest of teachers, and in condemnation of torture and broadcast of forced confession of workers’ activists. The protestors also called for unity of teachers and farmers.