Approximately 2400 Protests and 170 Labor Strikes in Iran

The Iranian Confederation of Labor - Abroad reported in its 2024 report that around 2400 protests and 170 strikes have been held in Iran in response to economic, social crises, and violations of labor rights. This labor organization stated that the protests and strikes reflect the dire living conditions, lack of job security, and pressures stemming from the ineffective managerial and economic structures in Iran. According to the report, protests and strikes occurred in 31 provinces and 70 cities across Iran, encompassing workers from the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, as well as retirees, teachers, nurses, and municipal workers. The Iranian Confederation of Labor - Abroad believes that the main demands of the protests include calls for wage increases above the poverty line, payment of wage arrears, elimination of contracting companies, implementation of approved laws such as job classification and salary harmonization, and provision of adequate healthcare and insurance services. The organization pointed out that widespread repression of labor and union activists, mass layoffs, prison sentences, and threats against protesters have exacerbated the situation, adding that arrests, summonses, and heavy sentences against teachers and labor activists, alongside suicides resulting from economic pressures and violent confrontations with security forces, paint a clear picture of the existing crisis. The report mentions nationwide strikes by project workers in the oil and gas industry, with over 85 instances in certain months, indicating peak dissatisfaction in this key sector of Iran's economy. The report also emphasized that retirees, due to harsh living conditions and low pensions, accounted for the highest number of protests. In a section of its 2024 report, the organization noted that due to media censorship and security restrictions, this report was based on limited information published in the media or confirmed by independent labor organizations and the confederation, adding that the lack of freedom for independent organization and media reporting restrictions are among the biggest obstacles to obtaining more accurate statistics and information about the status of workers. The annual report addressed violations of International Labor Organization conventions and the non-implementation of Iran's labor law, highlighting widespread violations of the freedom of association, failure to comply with minimum labor safety standards, and neglect of the minimum rights of the workforce. In this section, the Iranian government's policies to prevent the establishment of independent organizations and impose severe restrictions on union activities were identified as the main barrier to achieving workers' rights. Another part of the report discusses the status of marginalized and vulnerable groups in the labor market, such as women, migrants, the disabled, fuel porters, and queer individuals. The report states that these groups face the most discrimination and exploitation, adding that women experience much harsher conditions due to wage discrimination and high unemployment rates, while fuel porters face life-threatening risks and unfair wages. The Iranian Confederation of Labor - Abroad also wrote about Afghan migrants, stating that they are often employed in hard and unsafe jobs, deprived of any insurance support or legal rights, and their working and living conditions are marked by severe exploitation and slavery. The annual report emphasizes that the Iranian labor movement continues to resist and protest despite severe security pressures. This confederation believes that the systematic repression of workers and the prevention of the establishment of independent organizations are tools used by the Islamic Republic to maintain its existence and uphold the unequal structures of power and wealth, stating that sustainable improvement in the status of workers is only possible through their organized and united intervention in fundamental political changes in Iran. The report stresses that this requires the creation of a united force capable of organizing the struggles of various sectors of the workforce.