Economic Protests; Pensioners Gather in Various Cities in Iran with the Slogan 'Unity'

A number of pensioners and beneficiaries of the Social Security Organization held a protest gathering on Sunday, September 10, in Kermanshah, Dezful, and Shushtar. At the same time, pensioners from the steel industry also protested in Isfahan. According to reports from labor and human rights sources, these pensioners gathered in front of the Social Security offices in Kermanshah, Shushtar, and Dezful to protest against the 'poor economic conditions' and 'lack of attention to their demands,' including 'the implementation of the remaining equalization of pensions and the payment of arrears since 2020.' The pensioners chanted slogans such as 'How long will we be humiliated, either death or life,' 'Awake pensioners, aware of their rights,' 'Incompetent minister, resign, resign,' 'A pensioner will die, but will not accept humiliation,' 'Half-hearted salaries, silence is the same,' and 'Neither parliament nor government cares about the nation.' They also shouted: 'Enough of promises, our table is empty,' 'Claiming justice, shame on you,' 'Hosseini, Hosseini, their slogan, theft and looting is their job,' 'Our disgrace, our state media,' 'They plundered the social security, they made us miserable,' 'The pensioner's refrigerator is emptier than before,' 'Pensioners shout, scream for your rights,' 'Yesterday's warriors, today's hungry,' 'We are demanders, we seek our rights,' 'Our rights can only be obtained on the streets,' and 'National and military, social security, unity, unity.' Simultaneously, the Free Workers Union of Iran reported that a group of steel industry pensioners gathered in front of the Steel Pension Fund building in Isfahan. Previously, the Iranian Pensioners Council accused the Ministry of Labor of spending 'most of its time and energy' on 'planning to rob the pockets of working and retired workers.' In recent days, the Free Workers Union of Iran sent a letter to the 'International Labor Union Section worldwide,' asking them to consider issues related to 'the widespread repression of workers, teachers, pensioners, and all groups of working wage earners and independent organizations' as a 'continuation of the violent and blatant violation of workers' human rights in Iran.' Foad Kikhosravi, a board member of this union, told Voice of America: 'The depth of the violation of workers' rights and the repression of labor movement activists has taken on very catastrophic dimensions.'