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.
Saturday, March 12
Following a call for protests, a group of personnel of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad gathered before the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad or the governorate building in Isfahan, Qom, Ilam, Yasuj, Tehran, Gatvand, Gorgan, Buin Zahra, Ramyan, Laki, Selseleh, Mahabad, Saqqez, Arak, Eslamabad, Borujerd, Kermanshah, Pileh Savar and Bojnurd cities. They protested against the Ministry’s failure to enact a plan to raise wages, poor living conditions and low wages lagging behind inflation.
A group of personnel of governmental institutions gathered before first the Guardian Council in Tehran and then the Presidential Administration of Iran. They asked for raising wages in accordance with inflation. According to them, a 10 per cent annual increase in the minimum wage, as enacted by the Parliament, will not be enough to cover the living costs.
The veterans of the Iran-Iraq war who are working in government institutions gathered before the Guardian Council in Tehran to ask for permanent employment contracts.
The residents of a village in Shush County, Khuzestan Province held protests before the governorate building in Ahvaz. They protested that the prices set for residential lands (according to a plan known as Hadi) are too high and hence hardly affordable for the residents of this village who are mostly farmers or workers.
A number of teachers and union activists held protests before the Ministry of Education in Rudsar city in support of Aziz Ghasemzadeh, the detained educator and union activist. During this gathering, six protestors were arrested for a few hours.
A group of workers of the Municipality of Lordegan gathered before the Municipality’s premises to protest against the delay in payments. At the end of the gathering, the protestors marched toward the governorate building.
In Tabriz city, a number of land proprietors of under-construction Khavaran town, phase 2, gathered before the Municipality of Tabriz to ask for their demands and protest against 11 years delay in this construction project.
A group of contracted workers of the Oil Company Jahan-Pars went on strike at their workplace in protest against their unpaid wages.
A group of workers of the Oil Company Idehsazan Sadaf went on strike to protest against not receiving their wages for the last two months.
Sunday, March 13
For the second consecutive day, in 11 cities, the personnel of the Ministry of Agriculture Jihadgathered before either this Ministry or the governorate building. They protested against poor living conditions and not receiving the extra payments in accordance with an enacted plan by the parliament.
A group of pensioners of Fulad pension fund gathered before the building of this fund in Damghan, Isfahan and Tehran. Pensioners of the Fulad Company gather and protest every Sunday in various cities until their demands are met.
The retirees and personnel of Iran Telecommunication Company gathered from various cities and held protests before the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Iran.
About 80 daily paid workers of a commercial construction project in a district in Tehran gathered at the construction site. These workers, who have been recruited since 2017, have not fully received their payments in recent months. Earlier, they had held protests before Ayandeh Bank Headquarter.
The journalists of the newspaper Hamshahri went on a strike and gathered at this newspaper office to protest against not receiving the end-of-year bonuses and other benefits.
Monday, March 14
A number of pensioners of the Oil Industry Pension Fund held protests in Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz and Shahin-Shahr before the buildings of this fund in each city. They asked for delays in payments and closing disparities in wages.
The shareholders of housing cooperation of the army personnel held protests before the governorate of Qazvin. The members of this housing cooperation have not been allowed to build their houses in an allocated piece of arable land after twenty years. This cooperation has more than 2750 members and owns about 120 thousand hectares.
Along with their families, a number of veterans injured in the Iran-Iraq war gathered before the Foundation of Martyrs and Veterans Affairs to ask for 10 years delayed payments. Reportedly, the protest turned violent and some of these protestors were beaten up by the police.
A number of the Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company went on strike to ask for their wage demands.
Tuesday, March 17
A group of personnel of the Nomad Affair Organization of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province gathered at their workplace to protest against low wages.
A group of personnel of a Rural Cooperative Organization in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province gathered at the organization’s premises to protest against low wages.
A number of bus drivers working in the public sector of the Mashhad Bus Company protested by holding the headlights of their vehicles turned on. They asserted that “if the delayed wages are not paid, they would go on strike”.
Wednesday, March 17
A group of personnel of government-owned institutions gathered before the parliaments to ask for more increase in the minimum wage in accordance with inflation.
The residents of the village Paduk located in Gachsaran County, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province gathered before the Presidential Administration of Iran in Tehran. These protestors said that the government has done nothing to address their issues regarding their lands despite frequent requests.
The workers of the cement factory Momtazan gathered at factory premises to protest against low wages. They had been held other protests in recent days.
