Protest Gathering of Firefighters in Front of Tehran Municipality

A group of firefighters and safety service personnel in Tehran gathered in front of the Tehran Municipality building to protest their "work, welfare, and livelihood" conditions. According to IRNA, on Sunday, December 13, the protesters, numbering around 200, demanded that Tehran Municipality officials and members of parliament address their "professional and welfare issues." However, a responsible official from the Tehran Fire and Safety Organization stated that the organization does not understand the "motivation" behind the gathering. He added that the fire department would refrain from any comments until the matter is clarified and would announce the results of the gathering after identifying the issue. Mojtaba Abdollahi, the Deputy for Urban Services of Tehran Municipality, also addressed the protesters, stating that the protesting firefighters are demanding the removal of the age limit of 50 years in the early retirement law, which is beyond the municipality's authority. Abdollahi noted that the previous government [Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's] approved early retirement for firefighters at the age of 50 with 20 years of service in 2013. This official also mentioned that the salaries and benefits of firefighters are "higher than those of employees in other municipal organizations and institutions," and that "most firefighters are satisfied with their salaries and benefits." IRNA reported that the gathering ended after the Deputy for Urban Services spoke to the protesters. The call for this gathering had been circulated in groups and social media a few days prior. The announcement stated that firefighters would gather in protest against the disregard for the law on hard and hazardous jobs and some professional and welfare issues in front of the Tehran Municipality building. Earlier this year, on July 23, a group of firefighters had also gathered in front of the Tehran Municipality to protest their "salaries and benefits and the exclusion of this job from the category of hard jobs." It seems that several months after the previous gathering, their demands have still not been met, prompting them to protest again.