Category: Labor and Guilds

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
HRANA, weekly protest recap

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

Saturday, April 2

A number of the residents of the southern part of Kerman Province protested against a water transfer project transferring water from the Halil river to outside the county. They gathered before a workshop on the construction site.
Forood Rafati, the environmental activist commented: “Drilling this water transfer tunnel to transfer water from tributaries of the river has been justified for providing water for Kerman city. In fact, however, this water is going to supply water for the industries and tourist facilities. This project has diverted groundwater route which causes droughts and damages for walnut gardens in the villages of this area.”


A number of seasonal workers of the Water and Sewerage Department of Khuzestan Province gathered before the Governorate building of this province to protest against low wages, lack of any bonuses and unpaid the end of year bonuses for previous years. The workers said the employer responds to their protest by threatening to fire them.

Sunday, April 3

The workers of the Company SAIPA in East Azerbaijan Province went on strike in protest against selling the company stock which may lead to eventual mass layoffs of about 600 workers.

Monday, April 4

A number of citizens who lost their money by fraudulent acts in a cryptocurrency network known as “King Money”, run by the Baadraan Gostaran Company, held protests before the Public Affairs Building of the Judiciary in Tehran. They asked for compensation for their financial losses and the prosecution of the fraudsters.

 

A number of farmers gathered in front of the Justice building in Isfahan to protest against the mismanagement which has caused water shortage and the drying up of Zayandeh-Rud river.

Tuesday, April 5

A number of the retirees of Iran Telecommunication Company in Tehran, Semnan, Gilan, Isfahan, Kermanshah, Ardabil, Zanjan and Sirjan gathered before the company building in these cities. They protested against the failure to comply with regulations enacted in 2011 and a delay in receiving non-cash rations and medical allowances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 200 workers of Rasht Municipality held protests before the governorate building of Gilan to protest against a reduction in their wages and end of year bonuses.

A group of student parents in Fars Province gathered before the Ministry of Education and protested against reopening schools and holding in-person classes during Covid-19 pandemics.

Wednesday, April 6

A number of student parents in Bandar-Abbas city gathered before a school in this city and protested against holding in-person classes during covid-19 pandemics. They said that the number of students sitting in each class is too large to meet the required physical distance between students within classrooms.

A group of workers working for the Waste Management Organization of the Bojnurd Municipality gathered before the governorate building in this city. These workers raised concerns about eventual layoffs, reduction in wages and worsening job conditions following the disbanding of the organization and outsourcing to the contractors.

A group of workers of the Lorestan Agro-Industry Company gathered in their workplace to ask for modifications in their job contracts. They said that in violation of labour codes, in their contracts, raising wages has been conditioned to some workers’ agreements with unfair new conditions.

A number of daily wage workers of the Ilam Petrochemical Company held protests before the governorate building of Ilam. One of the protestors commented: “We are about 600 workers who are working in three shifts and hard conditions without any extra payment.”

“Currently we are working with minimum wages and hardly afford livelihood. We have not even received the end of year bonuses,” another worker added.

A group of citizens who own pieces of land in an area in Pardis County, Tehran Province, gathered before the Administrative Court of Justice. They protested against the efforts of Omran Pardis New Town Company to grab their lands.

About 60 workers of Behbahan Municipality went on strike and gathered in a square of this city to protest against unpaid wages. The Municipality has told them that due to the budget shortfalls, the Municipality can pay them at best once in three months.

Thursday, April 7

For the second consecutive day, the workers of the Lorestan Agro-Industry Company gathered at their workplace to ask for modifications in their employment contracts. They said that “the employer does not accept to raise the wages and told them that everyone who is not happy with that can leave.”

A number of student parents held protests before the Ministry of education in Behbahan to protest against holding in-person classes, which increase the risk of contracting Covid-19.

 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, several protests took place this week in Iran. Read our recap below for details and videos from these protests.

Saturday, March 26

A number of farmers gathered before the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad in Isfahan city. According to these protestors, unlike promises, the enactments of the ministry have not yet been put into practice in order to address farmers’ issues.

In Mazandaran province, a group of environmentalists and ranchmen protested against setting up a petrochemical factory in the protected habitat Miankaleh. Reportedly, although any construction in this protected habitat is legally forbidden, the project was recently inaugurated in the presence of the Minister of Interior.

In reaction to the launch of this project, the head of the Department of Environment stated that no construction project is allowed without the approval of The Department of Environment.

Wednesday, March 30

A group of the residents of some villages in Natanz County located in Isfahan Province protested against mining activities in the region, which have brought about damaging impacts on the environment and species of wildlife. In an open letter to the head of the Department of Environment, they asked to address this issue.

Police Shuts Down 16 Apparel Stores in Lorestan Province 

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News, Other

The Public Security and Intelligence Police Chief of Lorestan province announced that 16 clothing stores were shut down for selling what he called “unconventional apparel.” The police and judicial authorities routinely violate citizens’  privacy and trade rights in Iran. 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ISNA, 16 stores in Lorestan province were shut down for selling the apparel considered by the police as indecent.

Ahmad-Reza Ahmadian, The Public Security and Intelligence Police Chief of Lorestan Province claimed that “Iranian Public Security and Intelligence Police has launched an operation to combat the manufacturers and retailers of unapproved apparel. In this plan, we inspected 140 stores and collected 5854 various garments.”

“36 retailers committed to complying with regulations,” he added.

Imposing a certain lifestyle on citizens stands in blatant violation of Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which entitles everyone the right to life, liberty and security. Additionally, Article 12 of this declaration states, “Individuals shall not be subjected to arbitrary interference with their privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks”. 

HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News

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.

 

At Least Six Teachers Arrested in Alborz Province During Nationwide Teacher’s Protests

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Alborz province, Azadeh Mokhtari, Education, Iranian Teachers Trade Association, Jamshidi, mohammad habibi, Ruhollah Mardani, Salemi, Shabnam Baharfar, Shahriari, teacher's rights, Zahra Ajorloo

On February 19, during the nationwide teacher’s protest, six people were arrested in Alborz Province. These protests have been held in dozens of cities across the country and were called by the Iranian Teacher’s Trade Association.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the spokesperson of the Iranian Teacher’s Trade Association, Mohammad Habibi, informed the public of the arrest of Shabnam Baharfar, Azadeh Mokhtari, Zahra Ajorloo, Jamshidi, Salemi and Shahriari.

On the same day, teacher and union activist Ruhollah Mardani was arrested in Delfan County, Lorestan Province.

The teacher’s demands include the implementation of an already-enacted plan whereupon the incomes of teachers will be increased depending on rank to up to 80% of the salaries of faculty members, official employment of teachers with temporary job contracts, fulfilling severance pay for the year, improving living conditions of contracted teachers, enforcing Article 30 of Iran’s Constitution, free education, improving the quality of education, paying student’s insurance and creating a limit of 16 students per class.

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Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association Member Jafar Ebrahimi Sentenced to Four Years and Six Months in Prison

Posted on by A MN
Freedom of Expression, Labor and Guilds, News
Iranian Teachers Trade Association, Jafar Ebrahimi

Jafar Ebrahimi, a teacher and member of the Iranian Teachers’ Trade Association, was sentenced by the Karaj Revolutionary Court to four years and six months in prison.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, the court notified Ebrahimi about the sentence sentence on charges of “spreading lies” and “propaganda against the regime” and “acting against national security.” The trial was held in November of 2021.

Earlier on May 19, 2020, he was indicted by Culture and Media Court for publishing official statements for the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations. He was finally released on bond pending further legal proceedings.

Approaching the anniversary of the Aban Protest, security forces arrested him while he was going to the cemetery to attend a memorial for those killed by the regime during the Aban Protests. On December 26, 2019, he stated during a phone call that he was sent to Rajai Shahr Prison. One month later, he was released on bail. At the time he was detained, he was banned from teaching by the Ministry of Education of Shahriar on the pretext of “unjustified absence”.

At Least Seven Teachers Arrested During Nationwide Teacher and Educator Protests

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Ahmad Heydari, Ahmadi and Davoudi, Ali Zahmatkesh, Asghar Amirzadegan, Ghahreman Kiani, Jabbar Doosti, Shaaban Mohammadi

On January 31, at least seven teachers were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location amid nationwide protests of teachers and educators. In response to a call by the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, the retired and working teachers and educators protested yesterday and today in numerous cities across the country.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Monday, January 31, at least seven teachers were arrested and transferred to an unidentified location.

Mohammad Habibi, the spokesperson of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, mentioned on his personal social media that have the following teachers were arrested during the protests: Ali Zahmatkesh, Asghar Amirzadegan and Ghahreman Kiani in Shiraz, Ahmad Heydari, Ahmadi and Davoudi in Tehran, and Jabbar Doosti in Mariwan

Yesterday, Shaaban Mohammadi, a member of the Kurdistan Teachers’ Trade Association was arrested in Mariwan.

Five Workers Killed and Six Others Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Aghajari Oil Company, Peyman Javadi, unsafe workplace conditions, workplace deaths, workplace safety

On January 12, five workers lost their lives in six separate workplace accidents and six more were severely injured due to unsafe workplace conditions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ILNA, in Kermanshah city, a 34 year old construction worker fell from the seventh floor of a building under construction and died.

IRIB News Agency reported that in Sardasht City, a 50 year old man working on the exterior wall of a building, the wall collapsed due to rainwater permeation. The man’s head was injured severely.

IRIB also reports that in a mine near Tinuj village, Markazi Province, one miner died and five others were injured by carbon monoxide poisoning.

According to ILNA, a worker at the Electricity Distribution Company in Lahijan died after 180 days in a coma after being electrified at work.

According to ROKNA, a worker identified as Peyman Javadi died while working on an oil well at his job. He was employed by Aghajari Oil Company in Khuzestan Province.

ROKNA also reported that a municipal worker in Kordkuy City died from injuries obtained during a workplace accident. The 30 year old was cleaning a garbage truck when the carjack failed and the vehicle slipped and fell on him.

Four Workers Dead, Four Others Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Alborz province, Artin Kamali, Bahar County, Fardis City, Gachsaran City, Gorgan City, workplace death, workplace injusry, workplace safety

Four workplace accidents in recent days killed four workers and injured four others.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting IRNA, Artin Kamali, the head of Forensic Medicine of Hamadan Province, announced that a fire broke out in a workshop located in Bahar County. The fire killed a 36 year old worker.

“Investigation shows that defects in a heater in the workshop caused the fire,” he added.

According to ROKNA, a worker in Fardis City, Alborz Province, died after falling for a high height. “110 Police Emergency Center was called about the fall of a worker from the fourth floor of a building under construction in Fardis. Immediately, 11 central police officers were dispatched to the spot,” the police commander in Fardis County commented.

“The worker lost his life right after the fall,” he added.

In another workplace accident, one worker died and two others were severely injured in a turning workshop located in Gorgan City after an oxygen cylinder exploded.

Reportedly, when one of the workers was unloading the cylinders from a truck, one cylinder fell to the ground and blasted.

According to TABNAK News Agency, on December 28, in Gachsaran City, a contractor working on the city sewer network died due to the collapse of channel walls. Two other workers were also injured. According to the experts’ report, the ground became frail due to recent rainfalls, leading to the fall of the channel walls.

Iran ranks 102nd in workplace safety out of 189 countries.

Two Workers Dead, Three Injured Due to Unsafe Workplace Conditions

Posted on by A MN
Labor and Guilds, News
Alborz province, Ali Safai, Ardabil City, East Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan province, Savojbolagh County, unsafe workplace conditions, workers injured, workers killed, workplace safety

On December 20, two workers were killed and three others were injured in three workplace accidents caused by unsafe conditions.

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, quoting ISNA, a worker in Savojbolagh County, Alborz Province cut his hand on fan blades while lubricating a ventilation system. He passed away in the hospital due to blood loss.

Also according to ISNA, a fire broke out in a commercial building in Ardabil City, severely injuring three service workers.

According to IRIB News Agency, a construction worker in Neka County, Mazandaran Province lost his life. The worker fell while installing silo parts for a livestock input production company. For unknown reasons, he fell from high and died immediately.

Iran ranks 102nd in workplace safety out of 189 countries.

Director-General of Forensic Medicine of East Azerbaijan, Ali Safai, stated that during the first eight months of this year, 61 workers lost their lives in his province alone.

He elaborated, stating that, “35 workers died due to falling from high, 12 by being hit by a hard object, six by electrification, two from suffocation, one by drowning and five by fire. In addition, 1003 people have been hospitalized due to workplace accidents, of which 34 victims are women and the rest men”.