Protests by Retirees and Official Oil Employees Held in at Least 5 Cities in Iran

A number of retirees from the civil service and social security, along with official employees of the oil company, gathered on Tuesday, November 7, in at least five cities across Iran. The protesting retirees in Kermanshah, Sanandaj, and Ilam chanted slogans and held placards, once again emphasizing the need to fulfill their professional and livelihood demands. According to the Telegram channel of the Iranian Retirees Council, the protesters in Kermanshah listed their demands on placards, including dignity, welfare, livelihood, effective insurance, and full implementation of salary equalization, while also calling for the release of imprisoned teachers. In Sanandaj, dozens of protesting retirees shouted: 'Shout, shout, against all this injustice.' In Ilam, retirees chanted: 'The retiree is awake, tired of injustice' and 'Until we get our rights, the movement continues.' In recent months, retirees from the civil service, social security, and telecommunications have repeatedly held protests in various cities in Iran, demanding an increase in their salaries to the poverty line. The cost of living for a household in Iranian cities has been reported to be between 20 to 31 million tomans per month. Simultaneously, a group of official employees from the 'Oil and Gas Exploitation' company in Aghajari and official employees of the Mahshahr oil company in Khuzestan province also protested. The protesters once again demanded 'complete removal of the salary cap, elimination of retirement age restrictions, return of excess tax deductions, full implementation of Article 10 despite legal capacities and authorities such as increasing grade percentages and appraisal, and no encroachment on the oil workers' pension fund.' According to the Telegram channel 'Oil Thoughts,' which covers the demands of official employees in Iran's oil industry, protests among oil employees in companies and oil and gas rigs, especially in Aghajari, have increased due to the negligence of oil industry officials. 'Oil Thoughts' also reported that recently hired workers have also held protests in the Arvand oil regions, Dalan refinery, and West Oil and Gas (Cheshmeh Khush). In this regard, several independent labor organizations issued a joint statement supporting the demands and protests of official oil employees over the past two months. The joint statement indicated that oil workers, inspired by the weekly protests of social security and civil retirees, including teachers and telecommunications workers, are gathering in various cities. The Union of Retirees, the Association of Electrical and Metal Workers of Kermanshah, the Painters' Syndicate of Alborz, the Iranian Retirees Council, the Committee for the Follow-up of Labor Organization Formation, the Voice of Iranian Women, and the Independent Voice of Workers of the National Steel Group stated in their joint statement that oil workers are consolidating and organizing their protests, and there is no doubt that employing this method of protest will empower their struggles. On the other hand, minibus drivers in Rafsanjan, who provide services to schools and factories, protested against the reduction of their fuel quotas. According to the Telegram channel of the Free Workers' Union of Iran, these drivers are dissatisfied with a more than 60% reduction in their monthly fuel quota, protesting the decrease from 1350 liters to 500 liters. Workers at the Armeh No Petrochemical Company in Chabahar also went on strike on Monday, November 6, in protest of not receiving their five-month overdue payments. According to the Telegram channel of the Free Workers' Union of Iran, 150 workers from this engineering construction company have not received their salaries and dues since June of this year.