Workers' Protests in Various Factories Across Iran

Reports from Iranian media indicate several workers' protests in various regions of Iran over the past two days. These protests were held in response to unpaid wages and the privatization of these units. According to ILNA news agency, a group of workers from the Persian Gulf International Transportation Company gathered on Monday, October 23, in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare in Tehran to protest privatization and the non-payment of their wage claims. These workers stated: "Since May 2016, when the management of the Persian Gulf International Transportation Company was privatized, the payment of their wage and insurance claims has been disrupted. For instance, payments for benefits such as overtime, bonuses, productivity, and supplementary insurance for about 1,200 employees in this company have faced delays." Previously, workers from several industrial units in Iran, such as Hepco, Polyacryl, Bearing Manufacturing, Haft Tappeh Sugarcane, and Azarab, have called for the return of ownership of these factories to the government, citing the dire economic conditions resulting from their privatization. This request has not yet been realized, and officials from Hassan Rouhani's government continue to emphasize the necessity of reducing the size of the government and transferring factories and companies to the private sector. According to ILNA, there have also been issues with the payment of insurance rights for the workers of this transportation company, and the volume of insurance claims has led the Social Security Organization to refrain from renewing the medical treatment cards for the workers. Reports from some media outlets have indicated that employers, while failing to pay wages and benefits to workers, have also withheld their insurance payments. Meanwhile, according to the state news agency IRNA, a group of workers from the Rampco project at Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical in Mahshahr protested for three months of unpaid wages. Ibrahim Gholamshahi, the public relations manager of Bou Ali Sina Petrochemical, stated that these contractor workers do not have a direct relationship with the company, but the financial officials of the company are currently pursuing the issue to resolve it. The Free Workers Union of Iran also reported a strike by 170 workers from the Shakhes Company, a contractor for the maintenance and repair of the Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company, on Saturday and Sunday. According to the Ettehad website, this strike was in protest against the non-payment of hardship pay and compensation for adverse weather conditions by the contracting company. Additionally, IRNA reported that a union gathering of 400 workers from phases 15 and 16 of the South Pars Gas Complex took place on Sunday, October 22, in protest of unpaid wages, which ended with assurances from the contracting company officials. In this regard, Abdollah Nadi, the governor of Asaluyeh, told IRNA that the contracting companies claim they are facing disputes over expenditures with the executing company, which prevents them from paying workers' wages on time, while the executing company also believes in paying the claims of the contracting companies. Previously, according to ILNA, about 1,000 industrial workers, forest guards, and some retired workers from the Mazandaran Wood and Paper Factory gathered on Sunday in protest of two months of unpaid wages in the factory's premises. These workers noted that the Mazandaran Wood and Paper Factory, along with the forest guards, has nearly 2,000 workers in total, stating: "The Mazandaran Wood and Paper Factory has 1,600 workers and 300 forest guards, all of whom are concerned about their unpaid wages." According to this report, the forest guards say that the management of the Mazandaran Wood and Paper Factory has informed them that they must claim their wages from the Environment and Forestry Organization. However, the guards consider themselves contracted with the factory's employer. Furthermore, according to the Telegram channel of the Free Workers Union of Iran, hundreds of workers from the Hepco factory in Arak protested against three months of unpaid wages and their arrears, as well as what they called the uncertainty of the status of this unit, in front of the Central Governorate. This company has faced numerous problems since its privatization in 2007. According to this report, Hepco workers held a banner that read: "No compromise, no surrender - fight until victory." The protest by Hepco workers occurred at a time when they have repeatedly gone on strike, gathered, and marched over the past year to resolve their issues. In the latest round of these protests, which coincided with the protests of Azarab workers in Arak, Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, promised during his visit to Arak that the workers' problems would be resolved and their wages would be paid by the end of October. In this context, "the threat of imprisonment for some Haft Tappeh workers" if they continue their union activities, the payment of "all claims" of Azarab workers, and "some arrears" of Hepco workers were also mentioned. Rabiei stated that the wage arrears of Hepco and Azarab workers would be paid starting from Friday. The CEO of Azarab factory was arrested; the strike of workers at Hepco and Azarab continues. The Vice President of Parliament stated that the right to protest is reserved for workers.