Riot Police Attack Protesting Workers with Tear Gas in Arak

The House of Workers and the Central Province Islamic Councils condemned the riot police's attack with "batons and tear gas" on workers from the two companies, Hepco and Azarab in Arak, and the "beating" of workers who had gathered on Tuesday to demand their rights. According to ILNA news agency, the Central Province Islamic Councils issued a statement on Wednesday, September 29, condemning the riot police's attack on the workers of these two factories. This council emphasized that "no responsible official" in Central Province has been present to console the workers after months of delays in salary payments. The Central Province Islamic Councils also urged national officials to "take action and create a strong barrier against the planned destruction of the province's large industries and to restore the lost water to the stream." Meanwhile, the House of Workers in Central Province also issued a statement referring to the gathering of workers protesting the non-payment of their "several months" of salaries, adding: "Officials, instead of assisting them and comforting them, issue orders to confront them and beat the workers..." On Tuesday, September 28, a number of workers from the two factories, Azarab and Hepco, gathered in separate locations in the city of Arak. At the same time, the website "Arak Today" reported that some workers from Azarab blocked the Tehran-Arak road on Tuesday to demand attention from officials to their protest, but special forces removed them from the site. According to this report, Hepco workers also blocked the Arak railway line for a few minutes. Images and videos of the riot police's confrontation with these gatherings have been published on social media and some websites. There are also images of workers who have suffered broken legs or facial injuries due to the riot police's attack. In one of the videos widely circulated on social media, workers chant, "Poor worker, there’s no beating." In this video, one of the police commanders asks the workers to disperse. The workers of Azarab announced at this gathering that they have not received their salaries for about four months. These workers, who own part of the shares of this company, also protested the manner of holding the general assembly of this company on September 26 and 27, claiming that the law was not followed in holding this meeting. According to ILNA news agency, a representative of the Stock Exchange also criticized the manner of holding this meeting. Meanwhile, some websites reported that the representative of the Stock Exchange left the general assembly due to ambiguity regarding the ownership of the Agricultural Bank over some shares of this company and the unclear status of other owners. Simultaneously with the gathering of Azarab workers, some Hepco workers also protested the "irregular" payment of their salaries and the non-payment of their insurance rights. Workers from the two factories, Hepco and Azarab, have previously gathered several times to protest the non-payment of their salaries. Officials in Central Province have repeatedly promised to pay these workers' claims, but the workers have stated in their gatherings that these promises have not been fulfilled. Security forces have previously attacked workers' union gatherings multiple times, injuring or detaining workers. In recent years, dozens of workers have also been sentenced to prison for holding union gatherings.