Protest March by Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane and National Steel Group of Ahvaz

Protesting workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane, a group of people from Shush, and workers of the National Steel Group of Ahvaz gathered and marched in front of government institutions in Khuzestan province on Saturday. According to reports, on the thirteenth day of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane workers' strike, the protesting workers, along with their families and a number of citizens, marched and gathered in front of the governor's office in Shush. Meanwhile, reports have emerged about the 'deployment of riot police' in this agricultural and industrial unit of Shush County and the police station of Haft Tappeh, prompting the Free Workers Union of Iran to warn about the potential suppression of the Haft Tappeh workers' protests. However, Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan, stated that 'there has been no confrontation between the workers and security forces, and no one has been arrested.' Mr. Shariati announced that this factory is 'in limbo' and the workers are owed three months' wages. The Haft Tappeh Sugarcane workers have protested against what they called the 'endless problems' of the company and have also demanded the payment of their overdue wages. Earlier reports indicated the disappearance or imprisonment of the private employer of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company. However, Jafar Sobhani, an advisor to the Privatization Organization, stated that the discussion of transferring the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company to a new individual is 'not currently on the table.' Concurrently, as the strike of Haft Tappeh workers continues in Shush, the workers of the National Steel Group of Ahvaz also gathered on the eighth day of their strike in front of the governor's office in Ahvaz and the Khuzestan judiciary. The protesting workers also marched in the city of Ahvaz, chanting slogans such as 'Haft Tappeh Sugarcane, we are here, we are here, we stand together' and 'Release Khashoggi, think of us.' The workers of the National Industrial Steel Group of Iran have repeatedly gone on strike due to the failure of officials to fulfill their promises regarding their wage arrears and have gathered in front of various government institutions such as the Khuzestan governor's office. Their demands include 'payment of four months of overdue wages,' 'resumption of production and supply of raw materials,' 'establishment of social and supplementary insurance,' and 'attention to the living conditions of workers.' Some workers from this complex have been arrested in recent months due to participating in labor protests. In related news, 46 workers were released from prison in Ahvaz; 10 others are detained due to complaints from members of parliament. On the tenth day of the strike by the National Industrial Steel Group of Iran and Haft Tappeh Sugarcane, several workers and labor activists in Khuzestan and Kurdistan have been summoned or tried. Hundreds of HEPKO workers blocked the Arak railway for the second day. There are increasing security and judicial pressures on the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane and the National Industrial Steel Group of Iran, leading to severe government repression and the risk of protests going underground. Reports from doctors and eyewitnesses describe the injuries of protesters. The limitations on relations between China and Iran have become apparent amid the protests.