Protests by Workers, Retirees, and Nurses in Kerman, Mashhad, and Tehran

With the intensification of livelihood problems in Iran and government indifference, sectoral protests were held by workers, retirees, and nurses in various cities. According to ILNA, affiliated with the government organization House of Workers, telecommunications contract workers in Kerman went on strike on Saturday, February 16, in protest against the unmet demands. Issues such as non-payment of severance pay, injustice in payments, and problems related to medical expenses were among the grievances of these workers. Protests by contract workers have been ongoing for years in various cities, and last week, telecommunications contract workers in East Azerbaijan also went on strike for two days due to the non-receipt of their severance pay until the telecommunications company paid them. ILNA also reported on a protest by nurses in Mashhad in front of the Medical Sciences University of the city, quoting them as saying: "Our follow-ups in recent months have led nowhere, and our basic rights are still not respected." According to this report, nurses at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences are demanding reform of the payment system, an increase in nursing tariffs according to the law, the elimination of compulsory overtime, and improvement of the working conditions for medical staff. Public sector nurses have held protests multiple times in recent months over their livelihood issues and working conditions. Despite the widespread emigration of nurses to other countries, no specific measures have been taken to improve their living conditions and address existing discriminations. Low wages, unpaid demands, low overtime, compulsory overtime, and discrimination in the enforcement of laws are among the issues raised by nurses. Meanwhile, retirees and pensioners of the oil fund gathered on Saturday in front of the Ministry of Oil on Hafez Street in Tehran. ILNA reported that a large group of oil retirees from various provinces came to Tehran demanding their legal rights. The protesting retirees demanded the preservation of the independence of the oil fund, an increase in pensions according to inflation, the return of excess taxes deducted from oil workers, the implementation of Article 10 of the Oil Law, the swift implementation of a 90% adjustment, free medicine and treatment without co-payments, and the execution of the retirees' resolutions under code 23. ILNA quoted these retirees as saying: "For years, our legal rights have been trampled in various ways; we ask the managers of the Ministry of Oil to comply with the law and pay our legal rights." In recent years, sectoral protests have expanded in various regions despite intensified security and judicial crackdowns by the government.