Continuation of Livelihood Protests; Employees of 'Abfa' Company in Shush Held a Protest Gathering

The Free Workers Union of Iran reported that a number of employees from the 'Abfa' company in Shush held a protest gathering to pursue their demands. According to the union's information channel, workers stated that alongside the significant disparity in salaries among personnel, some employees have not received their wages for 6 to 10 months. The non-payment of insurance rights in previous years and the contractors' failure to fulfill promises have also been among the grievances of these employees. Workers reported family problems due to 'financial issues' and stated that if this matter is not addressed, it will lead to social harm among families. Wage payment in Iran is one of the longstanding challenges that has caused workers and employees in various offices and organizations to always have a significant amount labeled as overdue wages. In this context, a group of technical railway workers from the Bafq to Zarand line also reported overdue claims in September of this year. According to the 'Ilna' news agency, these workers held a union gathering in front of the Kerman governor's office on Tuesday, September 19, to follow up on their claims and those of their colleagues. Workers at the 'Pak Saman' factory located in Industrial Town No. 1 in Zanjan also protested on September 18, complaining about the incomplete implementation of job regulations in this production unit. Ilna, which is affiliated with the 'Workers House', covered part of the issues and problems of the working community, quoting workers who said, 'In this production unit, we work longer than what is stipulated in labor and social security laws, but contrary to the law, we are deprived of benefits such as leave and overtime pay.' The issues arising from the untimely payment of wages sometimes lead to additional economic pressure and even suicide among workers. In this regard, on September 2, news of a suicide by a municipal worker in Ilam was published, citing months of overdue wages and poor living conditions as the reasons for his suicide. Workers at the Urmia cement factory also went on strike on the morning of October 1 in protest of wages. According to workers' Telegram channels, the strikers emphasized that their 12 million toman salary is insufficient for their livelihood. Livelihood protests in Iran are not limited to workers and employees; retirees are also a constant presence in these protests. Key demands of protesting workers include adjusting wages based on inflation rates, implementing wage equalization plans, officially employing contract and unstable workers, and allocating supplementary insurance to workers. Workers' protests regarding living conditions have always faced repression from government agents, and several labor activists have been summoned, arrested, and imprisoned. Previously, the Free Workers Union of Iran requested in a letter to the 'International Labor Union Section' to consider issues related to 'the widespread repression of workers, teachers, retirees, and all groups of wage-earning workers and independent organizations' as a 'continuation of the violent and blatant violation of workers' human rights in Iran.' Foad Kikhisravi, a board member of this union, previously told Voice of America: 'The depth of the violation of workers' rights and the repression of labor movement activists has taken on very catastrophic dimensions.' Strikes at the Urmia cement factory; protests against wages and discrimination between workers and managers; the increase in food prices; the purchasing power of Iranians has decreased by 50%; a protest gathering in front of 'Taravat Novin' company; a 30 trillion toman embezzlement from 38 thousand victims; sectoral livelihood protests continue; gathering of social security retirees in Shush; livelihood protests in Kermanshah and Kurdistan; retirees: the result of the government's work is the plundering of the people's money; livelihood protests in Iran continued with gatherings of telecommunications retirees in 7 provinces.