Workers of 'Arghavan Gaster' Petrochemical Company in Ilam Province Strike in Solidarity with 100 Laid-off Workers

ILNA news agency reported on Saturday, August 25, that workers of 'Arghavan Gaster' Petrochemical Company in Ilam Province have been on strike for four days, coinciding with the 80th day of a protest by about 100 laid-off workers from this unit. One of the workers stated that the laid-off workers are demanding 'clarification on their return to work,' but so far, the management of this petrochemical unit and the officials of Chavar County in Ilam Province have not provided a clear response to the workers' demands. The neglect of the laid-off workers' demand for reinstatement comes at a time when, according to the report, four protesting workers have been summoned to the judicial and security authorities of the Islamic Republic following a complaint from the employer on charges of 'disturbance.' In the past, workers and other wage earners or labor activists in various regions of Iran have faced security and judicial actions from the Islamic Republic. In this context, one can refer to the threats or arrests of several nurses protesting difficult working and living conditions in different cities, which have not prevented the continuation of their protests. A protesting worker from 'Arghavan Gaster' Petrochemical Company told ILNA that the active workers in the company have also stopped petrochemical operations in support of the laid-off workers. This worker added, 'We are 100 local workers who have been pursuing our return to work from local and provincial officials since the beginning of June, but unfortunately, after about 80 days, no action has been taken to follow up on our employment status.' He noted, 'We expect officials to demand the petrochemical management to fulfill their legal obligations instead of summoning four protesting workers.' This worker emphasized that 'we will continue our professional protest to expedite our demands.' The name of 'Arghavan Gaster' has previously been mentioned in Iranian media; a unit where three laid-off workers have committed suicide in recent weeks. The wife of one of the laid-off workers from this company has also committed suicide. According to media reports, managers have cited the completion of the project as the reason for not needing workers and announced, 'We have no capacity to hire.' Meanwhile, workers have reported that non-local workers have been hired in recent months. ILNA emphasized that locals consider having work in the factory as their right and state that for those of us who have lost our agricultural lands adjacent to the petrochemical plant, working in the petrochemical industry is the only way to make a living. Published reports indicate that apart from recent cases, Mohammad Mansouri, Ali Mohammad Karimi, Arash Tabarak, Haidar Mohseni, and now Javad Norouzi and Mostafa Abbasi are six workers from Chavar Ilam Petrochemical who have committed suicide for a specific reason within less than two years until January 2024. According to Iranian media, the reason for all these suicides has been dismissal. In recent years, many strikes and protests have occurred in various regions of Iran. The reasons for these protests include low wage levels, delayed payment of wages and benefits, layoffs, and the continuation of privatization policies. Typically, officials of the Islamic Republic attempt to prevent these protests from occurring or expanding by making promises or through security and judicial actions.