HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, a number of protests took place this week in Iran, many of which were continuations of ongoing movements.  Read our recap below for details, photos, and videos from the demonstrations.

Friday, January 28

Several citizens from the northern part of Sistan and Baluchestan Province assembled in the cross-border terminal, Milak, to protest against a failure to receive their water allotment from the Helmand (Hirmand in Farsi) River. On the same day, other citizens assembled before Afghanistan’s Consulate in Hirmand County. They asked the government to negotiate with Afghanistan’s government to receive this water allotment from the Helmand River. The construction of Kamal-khan Dam on the river in Afghanistan has hindered Iranian farmers from receiving their irrigation water portion.

Saturday, January 29

Teachers and educators from dozens of cities went on a national strike. They asked for the implementation of the “Job Ranking Plan” as passed in Parliament, the implementation of Article 64 of Civil Service Management Law and other demands.

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A group of nurses in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province held protests in front of Shahid Rajaei Clinic in Yasuj City. They protested against 90 day temporary contracts and poor job conditions.

A number of workers in Zone 6 of the municipality of Ahvaz went on strike and assembled for the fifth consecutive day. They asked for the implementation of the “Jobs Classification Plan”, and for the municipality to pay employees’ insurance contributions, among other demands.

About 200 workers working in Salon 1 of the Industrial Molds Company SAIPA went on strike in protest against a delay in wages, low wages and discrimination in recruitment and promotions. Reportedly, management has recruited about 100 people from their relatives and friends while many experienced workers are still working with temporary contracts with contractor companies.

Sunday, January 30

Continuing recent nationwide protests, teachers from numerous cities across the country went on strike. These protestors held placards asking to free the jailed teachers.

A number of retirees of the Social Security Organization in Qazvin, Kermanshah, Mashhad, Khorramabad, Ahvaz, Rasht and Tabriz cities held protests before the organization’s offices in each city. They demanded that pensions are raised above the poverty line, and that the organization implement a plan to close wage gaps and disparities, address issues regarding supplementary insurance, end-of-year bonuses and bring records of working in hazardous jobs into the calculation of benefits and pension.

A group of pensioners of Fulad Company’s pension fund assembled before the office of the fund in Isfahan. As they announced, pensioners will protest each Sunday until their demands are addressed.

About 50 people who pre-purchased a vehicle from the Shahr-Khodro company and their representative, Rigan Khodro, assembled before the building of Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade in protest against not receiving their car after three years.

A group of job seekers in Khorramshahr City held protests before the Grand Mosque of the city. They asked for more recruitment from native labour forces in the Oil, Gas and Petrochemical project Arvandan. They said that despite having one of the largest oil fields in this region, 70 per cent of youth are unemployed.

In Urmia and Kermanshah cities, bus drivers went on hunger strike. About 300 bus drivers who are contracted by private sectors are on strike due the municipality’s failure to extend their contracts.

For the fourth consecutive day, the workers of Tehran-Jonoob Company (Khalije Fars Holding) went on strike in protest against a four-month delay in payments.

Monday, January 31

In response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, once again, the retired and working teachers and educators held protests in dozens of cities. One of their demands is the implementation of a plan whereby teachers’ income, depending on a ranking, will be raised to up to 80% of faculty members’ salaries.

A number of municipality workers in Shush City assembled before the municipality as well as governorate building to ask for wage demands and payout from a four month delay in payment.

In Kerman City, workers of Butia Iranian Steel Company (BISCO) went on strike and assembled at their workplace to protest against low wages. Despite promises, the company refuses to raise their wages.

The workers of the Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company continued their strike in protest against low wages. They have been on strike since last Saturday.

Tuesday, February 1

A number of medical students in residency from the Zanjan University of Medical Sciences assembled at the campus to ask for their wages. According to the Secretary of the Assistant Trade Union Council, Samira Jalali-Nejad, some single and married media students in residency have not received their incomes, which are respectively six and eight million tomans. Moreover, they have not raised the wages by 20 percent despite promises to do so.

The workers of the Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company continued their strike. They have been on strike since last Saturday. One of the workers stated: “during the last protests in November of last year, the employer promised to raise wages and to meet other demands. Until now, however, most of these promises have not been fulfilled. So, we had to go on strike again.”

Wednesday, February 2

A group of athletes assembled before the Isfahan Sports and Youth Office to protest against shortcomings and failure to address their issues. They held an empty coffin on their shoulders as a symbol of “dead sport” in this province. They asked for the discharge of the Director of the Sports and Youth department.

In Tehran and Mashhad cities, citizens who lost their money in the cryptocurrency network “King Money” due to fraudulent financial acts, protested before the building of the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade. They asked for law enforcement against the frauds.

A group of the workers in the urban rail transit system of Ahvaz City protested for wage demands. One of the workers said that “113 workers who are in charge of guarding trains have not received 15 months of payments from the contractor company Kayson.”

A group of workers working in Majidiey Port in Mahshahr City protested at their workplace against delayed payments and lack of job security. According to these workers, the contractor refuses to pay wages and has not given them any job contract.

A number of workers of the Sugarcane Agro-Industry Company Haft-Tappeh assembled at their company premises to ask for their wage demands.

A group of the personnel of Mehrgan Hospital in Mashhad City assembled before the hospital entrance to protest against the suspension of work.

Thursday, February 3

A group of workers of the Edible oil factory FRICO assembled before the governorate building in Sirjan City. After a few months of factory shut down, workers have not yet received their delayed payments. The factory, which employs about 300 workers, has been shut down due to issues regarding the supply and storage of raw materials.

A number of stock market shareholders who lost their investments due to fraudulent activities in Iran’s stock market held protests before the Planning and Budget Organization.

A number of physicians working in deprived areas as part of their conscription went on a strike to protest low wages. They began their protests a few months ago and some of them have been on strike and refusing non-urgent patients.

 

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