Continued Labor Protests in Iran; Workers and Drivers of 'Fajr Jam' Gather

Contractual and project workers, along with drivers of the 'Fajr Jam' gas refinery in eastern Bushehr province, held a gathering on Tuesday, December 18, demanding the fulfillment of their labor rights. Additionally, 'laid-off' workers from the 'Daralu Copper Concentration Plant' project in Kerman province continued their protests. According to images and reports shared by labor Telegram channels, the workers at the Fajr Jam gas refinery demanded the 'elimination of contracting and intermediary companies, reform of the job classification plan, implementation of a commuting plan for all contractual workers, equalization of salaries with official employees, and access to the refinery's welfare services.' Furthermore, a group of drivers from the Fajr Jam gas refinery called for 'job security, gas cards, proper and principled overtime, and payment of wages and benefits considering the rising costs of auto parts.' According to ILNA news agency, the 'laid-off' workers from the Daralu Copper Concentration Plant, along with their families, gathered for the fourth consecutive day near the plant. One worker, requesting 'the fulfillment of legal commitments' by the management of the Daralu Copper Concentration Plant, stated: 'We are about 130 local workers who have been pursuing our return to work from local and provincial officials since last year when the plant began operations. Unfortunately, after several months, no action has been taken regarding our employment status.' The Daralu Copper Concentration Plant project commenced operations in July of this year, with a production capacity of 100,000 tons of copper concentrate and employing 900 individuals. ILNA also reported that a group of city guards and boundary guards from the Bushehr municipality protested due to the non-payment of at least two months' wages. According to this report, these workers are also facing issues with their insurance, and their end-of-year bonuses for 2022 have not yet been paid. The Free Union of Iranian Workers also reported that workers in the Golkooneh industrial town in Tehran protested against frequent power outages on Tuesday, December 26. According to this report, one worker named Mehdi Jahangiri was arrested by the Islamic Republic's security police, and his current status is unknown. In recent years, protests by workers, retirees, and other wage earners have expanded across various regions of Iran.