Self-immolation of a worker in Abadan due to 'economic problems'

Labor sources in the Abadan municipality report the 'self-immolation' of one of the service workers of this organization due to 'economic problems.' The ILNA news agency also reported this, citing these sources, stating that this worker was not only 'struggling with many economic problems' but also had 'issues' at work at the time of self-immolation. The report did not mention the 'problems' of this individual, identified as 'Zaman Azerbaijani,' but noted that he suffered '80% burns' and was transferred to the burn hospital in Ahvaz. According to the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, one of Mr. Azerbaijani's colleagues, who was working in district three of the Abadan municipality and attempted to extinguish the fire to save him, also suffered '35% burns.' On the last day of Farvardin this year, a dismissed worker from the 'Faraasu' factory in Robat Karim set himself on fire in the factory premises and died two days later in a Tehran burn hospital. Workers from this production unit cited the reason for the dismissal of their 27-year-old colleague, who also had a 6-year-old child, as an accusation of 'theft' in the workplace by the employer, while stating that 'there was no evidence of his definite misconduct.' The problems of workers in various factories in Iran have increased in recent years, with unpaid wages becoming one of their biggest issues, leading to labor protests across the country. Almost every week, labor gatherings are held in various parts of Iran, especially in front of government buildings such as governorates and municipalities, where workers attempt to communicate their difficult economic conditions to official authorities. The Iranian government's response to such protests is usually intimidation, arresting workers, and serious crackdowns on any labor gatherings. The leader of the Islamic Republic has also stated that as labor protests in Iran intensified due to neglect of their wages, 'enemies' have always tried to provoke workers and create 'recession' and 'stagnation' in factories. He added that 'I have repeatedly said this in speeches, addressing our dear workers, that the country's counter-revolution has always had its eyes on workers to somehow provoke the labor community against the Islamic Republic.' According to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, Iranian workers have 'stood with insight and rejected the enemy's hand.' During this year's International Workers' Day gathering, which was called by the Pensioners' Union and five independent labor organizations and attended by hundreds, security and law enforcement forces attacked the demonstrators, arresting several. The security and judicial crackdowns on workers and labor activists in Iran, which have intensified in recent years, have drawn criticism from human rights organizations and labor unions worldwide. Last week, in one of the largest labor protests, workers from the Hepco factory in Arak blocked the north-south railway in Iran for several days in protest against economic problems and the lack of accountability from relevant officials. One of the workers' criticisms is the privatization or allocation of production units, which has increased since Hassan Rouhani's presidency.