Empty Tables of Workers in Front of Khuzestan Governor's Office; 'They Don't Pay Us, Death to America'

A number of workers from the National Steel Group of Ahvaz gathered again in front of the Khuzestan Governor's Office on Tuesday, March 8, demanding the fulfillment of their labor rights. Meanwhile, Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan, stated that the wages for the month of Azar would be paid. These industrial workers, who have been protesting since last Sunday, are demanding the payment of at least three months of overdue wages and clarification on how the wages for Esfand and the end-of-year bonuses will be paid. On Tuesday, the workers spread empty tables in front of the Khuzestan Governor's Office and chanted slogans such as: 'Our table is empty, enough oppression,' 'You have no ability to work, step aside,' and 'They don't pay us, death to America.' The protest on Tuesday occurred a day after Ayatollah Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, accused 'enemies' of trying to create a stagnation among workers, particularly in large factories. However, the leader did not refer to the labor issues such as delayed wages and benefits or wages below the poverty line. Typically, Ayatollah Khamenei and other officials of the Islamic Republic use the term 'enemy' to refer to the United States and Israel. The National Industrial Steel Group of Iran, whose workers protested on Tuesday, includes steel manufacturing, Kowsar rolling, rebar rolling, pipe manufacturing, and machinery manufacturing, employing about four thousand workers. The history of this complex dates back to 1967, when the Ahvaz steel factory was launched, which expanded after the 1979 revolution and was owned by the Amir Mansour Arya Investment Group until it was temporarily managed by the judiciary and then the National Bank following a three thousand billion toman embezzlement case. In November of this year, ownership was transferred to Abdolreza Mousavi, the CEO of Zagros Airlines, who also owns the Esteghlal Ahvaz football club, Daryush Hotel in Kish, and the Kish Dolphin Park. The owner of the National Industrial Steel Group reacted to the protests on Instagram, accusing some individuals of being 'malicious' and claiming they have caused 'customer flight and lack of trust in the company' by inciting workers and organizing strikes. On Tuesday, he announced that an important meeting would be held with government ministers to resolve the issues of this large industrial complex. After this meeting, Gholamreza Shariati told ILNA that 'it was agreed that the wages for the month of Azar would be fully paid.' He added, 'Since the National Steel Company of Ahvaz has been banned from trading, it has been decided that the Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organization will provide it with the necessary raw materials to generate income and create jobs for this large industrial unit.' This official also mentioned that a special task force has been formed to follow up on the status of this company and its legal obstacles in the future. The issue of unpaid wages, insurance rights, and workers' benefits has become the biggest current problem for workers in Iran, according to many labor activists. One employee of the Nasr Sepehr company, a contractor for the fourth line of the Tehran Metro, told Radio Farda that he and about 35 of his colleagues have not received seven months of overdue wages and last year's severance pay. When asked if the employees of Nasr Sepehr have raised their issues with the authorities, he replied: 'No one is accountable,' referring to the project manager, the contractor, and the metro's executive and inspection managers. Meanwhile, ILNA reported that over 200 operators of high-voltage electrical posts across Iran gathered on Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Energy in Tehran. These operators, representing over 4,000 of their colleagues, stated that a plan to employ them as permanent workers was announced by the Minister of Energy in June, but 'there is no will to implement this announcement, and previous decisions for recruitment have not been executed.' The Free Union of Iranian Workers also reported a strike by workers of the Niknameh Sadra Company in Bushehr in protest against the non-payment of their five months of wages. This labor organization also mentioned that workers at the Urmia Steel Factory have gathered in front of the West Azerbaijan Governor's Office for the umpteenth time in protest against the non-payment of one year of wages and nine months of their insurance rights. According to reports from the Free Union of Iranian Workers, ILNA, and other news sources, 400 contract workers at the Ilam Refinery have also gone on strike in response to the non-payment of their five years of severance pay.