Protests by Telecommunications Pensioners in at Least 13 Provinces: We Saw No Justice, We Won't Vote for Parliament

On Tuesday, December 18, telecommunications pensioners once again held protests in front of telecommunications offices, demanding attention to their grievances. According to images and videos shared on social media, including on the Telegram channel of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Syndicate, provinces such as Kermanshah, Ardabil, Markazi, Lorestan, Khuzestan, Isfahan, Hormozgan, Gilan, North Khorasan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kurdistan, East Azerbaijan, and Zanjan witnessed gatherings of pensioners chanting against corruption, poverty, and poor living conditions. One of the slogans from protesting pensioners in Tabriz was "Pensioner, shout out, demand your rights." In another video shared by the news organization Human Rights Activists in Iran, Hrana, pensioners in Isfahan chanted, "We saw no justice, we won't vote for Parliament." In Shiraz, protesting pensioners shouted, "We saw no justice, we only heard lies." The weekly protests of telecommunications pensioners in recent months have been in response to unmet demands, including the implementation of Regulation 89/24 and benefits such as supplementary insurance. Regulation 24 of the Civil Service Law, enacted in 2010, concerns the assignable duties and how to purchase services from the private sector, stating that "until the obstacles to assignment are removed," the provision of services to the workforce remains the responsibility of the executive body, namely the government. However, 13 years after the approval of this regulation, and considering the repeated and ongoing protests of these pensioners, it seems that neither the "obstacles to assignment" have been removed nor has the executive body fulfilled its duties towards the protesters. The dire economic situation is driving various professions to the streets, with sectoral and livelihood protests occurring several days a week in cities across Iran. Previously, economist Reza Qorashi told Voice of America that the economic situation of the Iranian people would worsen based on the Islamic Republic's budget bill. Protests by telecommunications pensioners have occurred in 10 provinces: instead of a working man, a military is sitting. The continuation of economic protests in Iran; simultaneous gatherings of telecommunications pensioners in several provinces. Protests by telecommunications pensioners in several cities in Iran: we only heard promises, we saw no justice. Gatherings of pensioners and professions across Iran; protesting against living conditions and insurance. Protests by telecommunications pensioners in cities across Iran: even if it rains stones, we will come on Tuesdays. The continuation of protests by pensioners in Iran; oil workers in Khark and steelworkers in Ahvaz also gathered. Sectoral protests were held today in various cities across Iran. Protests by pensioners and official oil workers were held in at least 5 cities in Iran. Telecommunications pensioners gathered in at least 20 cities.