Protesting Workers Block Iran's North-South Railway

A number of workers from the Hepco factory in Arak blocked the North-South railway in Iran for several hours on Tuesday, May 14, in protest against the factory's situation and the non-payment of their demands. According to reports from the IRNA and ILNA news agencies, hundreds of Hepco workers have not received their wages for three months, and they are also protesting the uncertainty surrounding the factory's status. Meanwhile, Morteza Sooraneh, a member of the Arak City Council, stated in an interview with the 'Etemad Online' website, 'The workers do not have significant outstanding demands... but all workers are concerned that the production unit of the factory is closed and the production line has stopped.' After last year's protests by Hepco workers, the factory's employer was changed by the Privatization Organization, but according to Davood Mirzaei, the secretary of the Central Province Workers' House, 'some workers opposed the new employer's arrival, stating that this individual may also lack the necessary ability to manage the company.' The cancellation of contracts and the failure of government entities to purchase Hepco products are among the other reasons for the financial crisis at this factory. Meanwhile, Abbas Akhoundi, the Minister of Roads and Urban Development, who traveled to Arak to attend the signing of several contracts and visit several projects, announced that his ministry, along with the Ministry of Interior, has submitted a proposal to the government for 'the purchase of Hepco products.' Hossein Bakhtiari, the governor of Arak, said that after negotiating with representatives of the workers on Sunday, it was decided that a group of officials would 'as soon as possible' address the problems at Hepco. Hepco produces construction, mining, and agricultural machinery and has been privatized since 2007. Workers from this industrial unit had also protested on February 5, 2018, by marching and gathering in the city of Arak and forming a human chain around the central square of the city, protesting the company's problems and the non-payment of their seven months of wages. They also chanted slogans referencing promises made by government officials such as Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, regarding the payment of their wage claims: 'Death to the worker - Hail to the oppressor.' In September 2017, protests by workers at this factory faced police intervention, and in December, at least 20 Hepco workers were summoned to the Arak prosecutor's office. Besides Hepco, the Azar Ab Arak company is also facing a crisis, and its workers have protested several times due to unpaid wages and the factory's situation. Labor protests in Iran have increased over the past decade, and many protesters have been arrested or summoned during these gatherings.