Nighttime Arrest of 10 Workers from National Steel Group; Security Forces Prevent Workers from Attending Friday Prayers

The Free Workers Union of Iran reported the arrest of over 10 workers from the National Industrial Steel Group in Ahvaz by security forces. The report indicates that these workers were transferred to the central prison of Ahvaz. According to this labor organization, these workers were arrested on Thursday night, March 1, following a raid by security forces on their homes. The arrest orders were issued by the Ahvaz prosecutor's office. Among those arrested are Farhad Akbariyan, Morteza Akbariyan, Meysam Ali Qanavati, Amin Momenpour, Hossein Nissi, Baqer Delfi, Taghi Hassan Zadeh, Hadi Afravi, and Mehdi Adelzadeh. The reason for the arrests has not been disclosed, and judicial and law enforcement officials have not responded to this issue. Meanwhile, the Ahvaz police have contacted many workers from the National Industrial Steel Group, requesting their home addresses. The Free Workers Union of Iran described the nighttime arrest of over 10 workers from this large industrial complex in Ahvaz, while they have "not received wages for months and are in a dire situation to sustain their families," as indicative of a government that "took control of this society under the guise of being the oppressed 40 years ago, now attempting to force us to work through violence and intimidation while we are hungry." This labor organization condemned the arrest of several workers from the National Industrial Steel Group and demanded their immediate and unconditional release. There is a history of dealing with protesting workers in Iran. For instance, the judiciary of Khuzestan province had threatened workers from Imam Port in previous years with legal action in response to their strikes. Additionally, 17 dismissed workers from the Agh Dareh gold mine in West Azerbaijan province were sentenced to receive lashes, which were carried out. Concurrently, as labor protests continue in Iran, the website of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic published a speech he gave on February 5, accusing "enemies" of attempting to create "stagnation and lethargy among workers or forcing them to do so." "Listen up, Friday prayer leader - we are workers, not thugs." Security forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran prevented more than 300 workers from the National Industrial Steel Group from attending prayers at the mosque in Ahvaz. According to the Free Workers Union of Iran, these industrial workers intended to participate in Friday prayers in Ahvaz for the second time to "seek justice," but "Basij and security forces prevented their presence," and these workers gathered in front of the mosque instead. They chanted: "Listen up, Friday prayer leader - we are workers, not thugs." They had previously chanted at last week's Friday prayer in Ahvaz: "Death to the worker - greetings to the oppressor." This ironic slogan was in protest against the authorities' indifference to the demands of the workers from the National Industrial Steel Group, and it gained widespread attention on social media. Earlier, this slogan had been chanted by workers at the Hepco factory on February 5. The Free Workers Union of Iran also reported that following the gathering of workers, one of the police commanders attempted to disperse them, but the workers refused to leave the area, leading to the arrival of police motorcycle units. This occurred while, according to another report from the Free Workers Union of Iran, the governor of Khuzestan was supposed to visit the workers' gathering for discussions. Meanwhile, according to the state news agency IRNA, the police chief of Ahvaz and several police commanders from Khuzestan province promised to follow up on their requests. In this regard, one of the workers from the National Industrial Steel Group told IRNA: "We have approached many officials to resolve our issues, and we have only heard promises of resolution." In recent days, the workers of the National Industrial Steel Group, while on strike, have gathered in front of the Khuzestan governor's office. They are demanding the payment of at least three months of overdue wages and clarification on how their March salaries, bonuses, and end-of-year rewards will be paid. This is while the employer has stated that only one month's wages will be paid. This issue has led to criticism from the workers, who have called for the dismissal of both the employer and the governor of Khuzestan. The history of this complex dates back to 1967, the year the Ahvaz steel factory was established, which was expanded after the 1979 revolution and had previously belonged to the Amir Mansour Arya Investment Group. Following a 3 trillion toman embezzlement scandal, its temporary management was transferred to the judiciary and then to the National Bank until ownership was transferred to Abdolreza Mousavi, the CEO of Zagros Airlines, in November of this year. Mr. Mousavi is also the owner of the Esteghlal Ahvaz football club, Daryush Hotel in Kish, and the Kish Dolphin Park. In recent months, the non-payment of wages and benefits to workers in various regions of Iran has led to their protests.