HRANA Recap: This Week’s Protests in Iran

Friday, May 21 and Saturday, May 22

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least seven protest rallies were held on May 21, and 22. Several employees of the offshore platforms of the South Pars Oil and Gas Company rallied at their workplace. A group of nurses and medical staff members of the Health Cooperative rallied in front of the Judiciary in Tehran. Several workers of Pajen Dairy Company rallied in front of Nasimshahr Governor’s Office. Workers of Izeh’s Water and Sewerage Company rallied in front of the city water supply building demanded their unpaid wages. Street cleaners in Chabahar rallied in front of the city building; a group of workers of IGC in Assaluyeh rallied in their workplace, and truck drivers parked their vehicles in one of Mashhad’s highways protesting the neglect of their problems by the authorities. All the groups of protestors called for their demands to be addressed.

 

Workers of IGC in Assaluyeh:

 

Medical staff members of the Health Cooperative’ rally:

 

Cleaners and sweepers in Chabahar:

 

Workers of Izeh’s Water and Sewerage:

 

Sunday, May 23

 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least 10 protest rallies were held on May 23. A group of employees of Tehran Metro Operation Company rallied in front of the Islamic parliament in Tehran; Retirees of Isfahan Steel Industry rallied in front of the Retirement Fund building in Isfahan; School janitors rallied in front of their provincial education department in Lorestan and Qazvin provinces; a group of Shiraz Telecommunication Company retirees rallied in front of the governor’s office in the city, a group of preschool teachers from different cities rallied in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly; teachers working in non-profit schools in Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, and East Azerbaijan provinces protest rallies called for their demands to be addressed.

 

Employees of Tehran Metro:

 

Retirees of Isfahan Steel Industry:

 

 

Teachers working in non-profit schools in Sistan and Baluchestan, Kerman, and East Azerbaijan:

 

Janitors rallied in in Lorestan and Qazvin provinces:

 

Telecommunication Company retirees in Shiraz:

 

 

Preschool teachers rally:

 

Monday, May 24

 

According to HRANA, the News Agency of Human Rights Activists, at least seven protests took place on Monday, May 24.  Employees of the Ministry of Oil rallied in front of this ministry building in Tehran; a group of truck drivers held a rally and parked their vehicles in front of the municipality building in Mashhad; Security and maintenance workers of line 5 of Tehran city train held a rally on-site; several retired employees of Iran Air airline rallied in front of the airline building in Tehran; a group of faculty members of the Azad University of Tabriz and Ahvaz held rallies in their cities; retirees of health department held a rally in front of the building of the Program and Budget Organization in Tehran.Protesters called on their demands to be addressed.

 

Truck drivers held a rally in Mashhad:

 

Employees of Iran Air airline rallied in front of the airline building in Tehran:

Retirees of health department held a rally in front of the building:

 

 

Tuesday, May 2

 

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least thirteen protest rallies were held on Tuesday, May 25.   Stakeholders of Azovico company who lost money held a rally in the streets around the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade in Tehran. Several workers from the Ministry of Oil in the Persian Gulf Holding rallied in Petrochemical Special Economic Zone in Bandar Imam Khomeini. Workers at Pegah Milk Factory of Tehran held a rally in front of the Judiciary building. A group of teachers and several temporary employees of the Ministry of Oil rallied in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly building. A group of employees and retirees of Imam Khomeini Hospital held a rally in front of the Municipal Organization of Alborz Province. Residents of Barangerd village, farmers of the rural part of Gamboueh, and a group of employees of Khuzestan Rural Water and Sewerage Company held rallies in Khuzestan Province. Several students of Estahban Higher Education Center protested in this educational center. A few retirees of Pars Metal factory rallied in front of Ghanoon daily newspaper office in Tehran. Shareholders of the stock market rallied in front of the Stock Exchange Organization in Tehran, and a group of farmers in Isfahan held protest rallies in this city and called on their demands to be addressed.

 

Stakeholders of Azovico company:

 

Workers from the Ministry of Oil in the Persian Gulf Holding:

 

Residents of Barangerd village:

 

Residents of Gamboueh village:

 

 

Students of Estahban Higher Education:

 

 

Retirees of Pars Metal:

 

Employees of Rural Water and Sewerage in Khuzestan:

Wednesday, May 26

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, on Wednesday, May 26, official employees of the oil industry held rallies in 9 different cities and locations including Bahregan, Lavan, Ahvaz, Gachsaran, Abadan, Assaluyeh, Tehran, Mahshahr, and Bushehr. The employees called their demands on payment of arrears, equipment upgrade, correct and complete implementation of Article 10 and 112, resolving problems of employees’ transfer to needed sections and some other demands. Several employees of Rural Water Supply and Sewerage gathered in front of the government buildings in the Khuzestan Province. A group of technical protection and safety consultants gathered in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare in Tehran rallied to pressure authorities to address their demands.

 

Protest of employees of the oil industry in 9 cities:

 

In Tehran:

In Lavan:

In Bahregan :

in Mahshahr :

 

in Ahvaz:

 

in Bushehr:

 

 

Employees of Rural Water Supply and Sewerage in the Khuzestan Province:

Thursday, May 27

According to HRANA, at least three protest rallies were held on May 26. Khuzestan Rural Water Supply and Sewerage staff for the third day in a row in front of the governor’s office in Ahvaz. Medical staff at Bu Ali Hospital rallied at their workplace in Tehran, and a group of citizens of Behbahan held a rally at the Friday prayers center in the city, in Khuzestan, and called on their demands be addressed.

Demanding Water, Wages, and Benefits: A Recap of This Week’s Protests

According to HRANA, the news agency of Human Rights Activists, at least 26 protests took place across the country this week, 6 of them today. The unassociated protests and their participants’ demands varied greatly, but all related, in one way or another, to political and economic institutions’ disregard for citizens’ needs. Here is a quick breakdown.

 

Pensioners Protest in 5 Cities

 

On May 16, retirees protested in at least 5 cities, including Tehran, Karaj, Khorramabad, Mashhad, and Kermanshah.

Pensioners carrying banners chanted slogans and marched in front of their local Social Security offices. They demanded an increase in pensions following the poverty line increase,  implementation of the equalization of salaries law, strict implementation of Article 96 of the Social Security Law, attention to supplementary insurance problems, and payment of end-of-year bonuses.

 

 

Teachers protest in Tehran and Tabriz

 

On May 16, several teachers protested in front of the Parliament Building in Tehran and in front of the Department of Education Building in Tabriz, calling for their demands to be addressed.

 

 

Families of the victims of the 2020 Ukrainian plane crash protest in Tehran

 

On May 16, a group of families of the victims of the 2020 Ukrainian plane crash gathered in front of the Judicial Organization of the Armed Forces in Tehran. The families protested the trial, the rejection of their request to study the case, and Foreign Minister Javad Zarif’s remarks about “curing the accident” in his leaked tape of the interview.

 

 

 

Municipal workers protest in Lowshan

 

According to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), on May 16, workers of the Municipality of Lowshan protested low wages and insurance problems in front of the municipal building for the second day in a row. According to the workers of Lowshan Municipality, on the morning of May 15, the protest broke out after Lowshan’s mayor insulted several service workers in the yard and inside the building.

 

 

 

Kaveh Glass Industrial Group workers protest in front of Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare

 

According to the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), on May 16, a group of workers from the Kaveh Glass Industrial Group demanded fair working conditions and retirement benefits in front of the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare.

 

Per the report, the workers demanded the right to retire after working 20 continuous years or 25 consecutive years, given the difficulty and high risk of the job.

 

According to news sources, the workers all have retirement status and have been insured in these difficult jobs for more than 20 years.  The workers claim that the employer not only did not help them to retire but also laid them off shortly before the benefits were set to activate. They are currently both jobless and unable to retire.

 

 

Teachers and staff of special-needs education schools protest in Khuzestan province

 

According to the Asr-e-Junub news agency, on May 16, teachers and staff of schools for children with special needs in Khuzestan province protested in front of the General Directorate of Education in Ahvaz. The protestors demanded increased salaries and the resolution of clerical insurance problems.

 

Literacy movement educators protest in front of Parliament Building

 

According to the ISNA news agency, on May 16, a group of educators of the literacy movement protested in front of the Parliament Building and requested Parliament representatives’ support, as their employment status is currently shaky.

 

Residents of Health Boulevard in Saravan protest in Sistan and Baluchestan Province

 

According to the Baloch Activists Campaign, a group of citizens living in Saravan’s Health Boulevard protested in front of the governor’s office and the office of Islamic Consultative Assembly representative Malek Fazeli on May 17.

 

The residents protested lack of electricity and poor infrastructure in the area, after numerous attempts to resolve the issue through the electricity department were unsuccessful.

 

Servants and school caretakers protest in Shiraz

 

According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, on May 16, servants and caretakers of Shiraz schools demanded an increase in wages and benefits in front of the city’s education building.

 

Private school teachers protest in Ilam

 

According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, on May 17, teachers and employees of private schools in Ilam protested outside the Department of Education building of the province. According to the report, the protestors have been working for years with very low salaries. They requested a salary raise and benefits increase and called on the elimination of discrimination they have been facing compared to government employees.

Safety Consultants protest outside Ministry of Labor building in Tehran

 

On May 19, a group of safety consultants from all over the country protested in front of the main door of the Ministry of Labor building in Tehran. They demanded an immediate cessation of the implementation of Technical Protection and Safety Services bylaws, and revision of the bylaws and instructions “in the presence of experts and representatives of real advisors”.

 

 

 

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Water Company workers protest in Gachsaran

 

According to Kebnanews, on May 18, several members of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Water and Sewerage Company protested not receiving their wages and insurance benefits in front of the Dogonbadan’s Water and Sewerage Office in Gachsaran.  All of the protesting workers have been employed for more than 5 years by this company, and have not been paid for three months.

 

 

Karnameh Sabz’ teachers protest in Tehran

 

According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, on May 19, teachers of Karnameh Sabz protested the uncertainty of their employment status in front of the Ministry of Education building in Tehran. Karnameh Sabz teachers are educators who took the Ministry of Education’s recruitment exam (Article 28 exam) and have been selected by officials, but no action has been taken by the ministry since the exam. On the previous day, teachers also protested in front of the Parliament building in Tehran.

 

 

Truck drivers protest in Arak  

 

According to the ISNA news agency, on May 19, several truck drivers in Arak protested for the fifth day in a row. They called on their union demands and complained about the failure of officials in the Road Maintenance & Transportation Organization.

Aseminun miners protest in Manujan in Kerman

 

On May 19, workers of the Aseminun mine in the city of Manujan in Kerman province protested not receiving their wages for the third day in a row of the strike. The

protesters demanded payment of their unpaid wages, the ousting of the current mine owner, and the transfer of ownership to the public sector.

Gardeners protest in Robat Karim

According to the Basi news agency, on May 20, several gardeners from Robat Karim protested in front of the governor’s office.  Protestors claimed their right to ownership had been violated by the Ministry of Agriculture Jihad even though they had the proper legal paperwork.

 

 

Agents and sellers of Sufi Cement protest in Tabriz

 

According to the Free Trade Union of Iran, on May 20, several agents and sellers of Sufi Cement gathered in front of the East Azerbaijan Governor’s Office in Tabriz to protest cement shortages.

Shareholders of Samen Coin protest in Tehran

 

According to the Free Trade Union of Iran, on May 20, 2021, a group of shareholders of Samen Coin protested in front of the Central Bank in Tehran.

 

Jovein Cement factory workers protest in Khorasan Razavi

 

According to the Free Trade Union of Iran, on May 20, 2021, workers of the Joven Cement Factory in Khorasan Razavi protested low wages and poor working conditions.

 

Villagers protest amid continued water shortages in the western suburbs of Karun

 

According to the IRIB news agency, on May 21, villagers of the western suburbs of Karun gathered in front of the Arvandan Oil and Gas Company refinery to protest authorities’ unfulfilled promises to address the ongoing water crisis in Karun. Twelve villages in the western suburbs of Karun, each with populations of  over 6,000, have been experiencing water shortages for nearly four years.