Protests by Pensioners and Strikes by Workers at National Industrial Steel Group in Ahvaz

Simultaneously with the protest gathering of retirees from the public and social security sectors in at least four cities—Yazd, Tehran, Kermanshah, and Ahvaz—and the protests by some personnel of the drilling company Arkan Salis, which belongs to the National Iranian Drilling Company, another round of labor strikes was held at the National Industrial Steel Group in Ahvaz. Based on published images and videos, protesting retirees emphasized their demands with placards, including 'Increase pensions according to the inflation rate' and 'Freedom for imprisoned teachers.' The demonstrators also chanted slogans against the government's policies and its failure to fulfill promises made to retirees. In Ahvaz, the protesting retirees shouted: 'Raisi the liar, where are your promises?' In Kermanshah, retirees gathered in front of the provincial governor's office and chanted slogans such as 'Our rights can only be obtained on the streets,' 'We will not sit down until we receive our rights,' and 'Security forces, be alert, we are retirees, not thugs.' A number of retired educators in Yazd also participated in a silent protest in front of the city's Planning and Budget Organization, demanding the fulfillment of their livelihood and professional demands. At the same time, employees from several drilling rigs of Arkan Salis also held a protest. According to the Telegram channel of the United Nationwide Pensioners of Iran, among the protesters' demands are the complete elimination of contracting companies for human resource supply, immediate reform and implementation of the job classification plan, allocation of oil cards, and welfare benefits. The Telegram channel of the Independent Voice of Workers at the National Steel Group also reported another round of labor strikes at the National Industrial Steel Group in Ahvaz. According to this report, following the failure of the company's management to properly implement the job classification plan, the protesters began their strike on Tuesday, January 23. During this strike, which will continue until Saturday, January 28, all production lines at the National Steel Group have been halted. Livelihood demands are among the main issues of ongoing protests by retirees from the public sector, telecommunications, steel, and social security, and these protest gatherings continue persistently in various cities across Iran. The livelihood protests of telecommunications retirees in several cities in Iran have also been noted, with delays in the payment of 17-year-old claims of retirees from a telecommunications company still shrouded in ambiguity. There are warnings about the consequences of 'regional wages,' which are exacerbating the migration of workers to cities. Mustafa Zamani was arrested at the Isfahan refinery; Reza Aghdasi was sentenced to four years in prison in Tehran.