Workers at 'Parch Paper Nature Cellulose' Factory in Shush Continue Strike and Protest

On Thursday, May 2, workers at the 'Parch Paper Nature Cellulose' factory continued their strike and protest, which began on May 1, by gathering in front of the Shush County Governor's office. The protesting workers are demanding direct employment contracts, the elimination of contractors, wage increases, benefits, the activation of all production lines, the elimination of discrimination, and job security. According to reports, the protesters chanted: 'Our rights can only be obtained on the streets.' They had also continued their protests on Wednesday, May 1, coinciding with International Workers' Day. According to ILNA news agency, the workers attributed the intensification of their protests to the 'indifference' of the employer to their demands. The workers stated that government officials and stakeholders of the 'Parch Paper Nature Cellulose' factory have remained silent instead of finding solutions and are trying to create divisions among workers by threatening layoffs. These protests have continued despite the fact that, according to the workers, legal cases have been filed against some protesting workers in recent days. So far, the judiciary has not responded to this issue. The Iranian judiciary has repeatedly issued prison and flogging sentences against workers protesting their living conditions over the past two decades. The issuance of these sentences has led to protests from international labor unions and organizations around the world. The strike and protest by the workers at the Parch Paper Nature Cellulose factory began on May 1 after some production lines were shut down and about 100 workers were laid off. According to the workers, the employer intended to settle with them under the pretext of financial shortages. However, the widespread protests by the workers led the employer to agree to reinstate the laid-off workers. In recent years, there have been numerous reports of the dismissal of protesting workers or security and judicial actions against workers protesting their living conditions in various regions of Iran. Labor protests and strikes have expanded in various regions of Iran in recent years. Among the issues raised by the protesters are low wages, unpaid wages and benefits, layoffs, and privatization.