Tag: Nasrin Javadi

International Workers’ Day: A Year in Review of Iranian Workers’ Conditions

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Anisha Asadollahi, Asghar Amirzadegan, Bandar-Abbas, Ebrahim Madadi, Haft Tappeh, Mehran Raouf, Nahid Khodajoo, Nasrin Javadi, Shahid Rajaee Port, Yadi Bahari

HRANA News Agency – Published on the occasion of International Workers’ Day, this report aims to highlight the challenges Iranian workers face, including lack of legal protection, labor rights violations, low wages, unpaid salaries, and unsafe working conditions.

According to HRA’s Department of Statistics and Publications, an analysis of labor-related reports from May 1, 2024, to April 27, 2025, reveals that at least 18,354 workers were reported killed or injured in workplace incidents, as documented by media outlets and organizations active in labor rights.

At least 16,273 workers were injured in workplace accidents over the past year. In one official nationwide and provincial report, authorities reported 16,000 injured, in addition to 273 other reports collected and disseminated by civil or labor organizations.

At least 2,081 workers also lost their lives in workplace accidents during this period. Authorities and relevant organizations reported in an official report the death of 2,000 workers, while independent bodies documented an additional 81 worker deaths not mentioned by officials.

Workers experienced a tragic year during the reporting period. Notably, on the evening of September 21, 2024, a massive explosion occurred at the Madanjo coal mine in Tabas, South Khorasan Province—one of the deadliest mining accidents in Iran’s history. The incident was caused by a sudden release of methane gas in Block C of the mine, which triggered an explosion and the spread of toxic gases into Block B. At the time, 69 workers were present in the two blocks. The blast claimed the lives of 52 workers and injured more than 20 others. Official reports cited inadequate ventilation, the absence of accurate gas sensors, and poor safety oversight as the main causes of the disaster.

The latest in a series of tragic incidents was the explosion at Shahid Rajaee Port in Bandar Abbas. Labor activists reported the death of 46 workers, including three female workers at the time of this writing. Moreover, more than 1,242 injuries were reported by official media, though it remains unclear how many of them were workers. Nevertheless, the head of the Bandar Abbas Workers’ Retirees Association emphasized that most of the victims were workers. This human tragedy, occurring on the eve of the International Day for Safety and Health at Work, highlights that neglecting workplace safety not only endangers thousands of workers’ lives but also inflicts irreparable human and economic damages on society. This reality underscores the importance of more serious enforcement of laws and continuous oversight of compliance with safety principles in work environments.

Despite the significant figures cited above, it is important to note that the majority of workplace incidents go unreported in the media due to the lack of transparency from responsible institutions and officials. Most Iranian workers face unsafe working conditions, with little job security and insufficient insurance coverage. A shortage of labor inspectors and weak safety infrastructure continue to hinder both the documentation and prevention of workplace accidents.

According to the reports compiled by the statistics department of this organization, the distribution of workplace incidents is as follows: 22.63% due to falls from height, 14.23% due to traffic accidents, 10.57% due to fires, 10.37% due to being struck by a hard object, 8.85% due to poisoning, 7.62% due to mining accidents, 6.42% due to gas inhalation, 6.39% due to factory incidents, 6.19% due to electrocution, 2.46% due to construction accidents, 2.30% due to well accidents, 0.81% due to explosions, 0.49% related to petrochemical and refinery incidents, 0.23% unknown causes, 0.19% due to smoke inhalation, 0.13% due to agricultural incidents, and 0.13% due to drowning.

Workplace Accident Categorization Chart

Additionally, based on the statistics gathered by the Statistics Center of Human Rights Activists, at least 1,233 months of wage arrears have been recorded across 92 industrial and service units.

According to the reports compiled by this organization’s statistics department, 72.19% of wage arrears are related to governmental organizations, 14.64% to private organizations, 8.80% are unknown, and 4.36% pertain to the energy industry.

It should be noted that a large portion of the published reports on wage arrears did not specify the number of workers involved, which is a major factor preventing accurate statistics on the number of workers claiming unpaid wages.

While estimates suggest a high level of protests within the labor community, over the past year, a total of only 738 labor protests and 1,145 union protests were reported by media or civil organizations. union protests decreased by 20%, while labor protests increased by 72%.

Among the most significant events in Iran over the past year are the protests by workers at Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company, farmers, miners at the Western Yurt Winter Mine, workers at South Pars Gas Complex, as well as union protests by teachers, retirees, and Social Security pensioners.

Over the past 12 months, various cities across Iran witnessed different forms of protest movements by workers. A wide range of workers took to the streets due to non-payment of monthly wages and neglect of their insurance demands. Some workers protested after not receiving up to 30 months of wages. Consequently, 1,373 labor strikes and 69 union strikes took place. Labor strikes increased by 1,315% and union strikes by 86%.

Over the past year, the scale of organized demands by various sectors of the working class has been unprecedented. However, repression, deliberate disruption, non-recognition of independent labor unions and associations, the imprisonment and sentencing of several labor activists, and systematic obstruction of the right to protest have contributed to the fragmentation and disorganization of some labor protests and gatherings.

Labor unions, in their conventional international sense, do not exist in Iran. Independent organizations such as the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers’ Syndicate, the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Unions, and the Free Workers’ Union face accusations of security and political offenses.

Many workers have been arrested or convicted on charges such as organizing peaceful gatherings and protesting low wages.

Over the past 12 months, at least 13 workers and labor activists have been arrested. Notable among these arrests are at least three workers from Barez Tire Factory in Kerman and four workers from Asfalt Toos Company.

It is also worth mentioning that Ebrahim Madadi, Nahid Khodajoo, Anisha Asadollahi, Nasrin Javadi, Yadi Bahari, and Mehran Raouf are among the prominent labor activists currently imprisoned along with union activists such as Asghar Amirzadegan.

Esmaeil Gerami

Ebrahim Madadi

Nahid Khodajoo

Anisha Asadollahi

Nasrin Javadi

Yadi Bahari

Mehran Raoof

Asghar Amirzadegan

Furthermore, there have been sentences against 10 labor activists and workers totaling 340 months of discretionary imprisonment, 5 cases of self-immolation, 5 cases of suicide, interrogation of 7 individuals by security bodies, 5 cases of sentence execution, 1 home search, summoning of 14 individuals to judicial and security authorities, 11 factory closures, 4,424 cases of dismissal and layoffs, 585 cases of unemployment, 1,024,872 cases of workers lacking work insurance, and 5,105 cases of workers left in limbo regarding their employment status.

In the unions and guilds sector, there have been a total of 27 arrests of union activists, 804 months of discretionary imprisonment, 92 months of suspended imprisonment, 29 lashes, 577.4 million tomans in fines, 168 months of exile for 72 union activists, 3 travel bans, 18 court trials, 118 summonses to judicial-security authorities, 315 place closures, 11 cases of dismissals and layoffs, at least 165 months of wage arrears, 3 cases of forced retirement, 3 home searches, 5 sentence executions, and 5 cases of assault reported.

Over the past year, active and retired teachers and educators across various cities and provinces of the country staged protests and strikes to demand their unmet claims. Accordingly, 98 protests and 2 strikes have been recorded. It is noteworthy that in the past year, there have been 14 arrests, 56 summons, 16 court trials, at least 11 months of delayed salaries, 8 cases of dismissal and prohibition from teaching, and 3 cases of forced retirement among teachers. Additionally, 69 teachers and activists in this sector have been sentenced to a total of 780 months of discretionary imprisonment, 92 months of suspended imprisonment, 29 lashes, 3 cases of deprivation of social rights, and 537.4 million tomans in fines.

The Executive Secretary of the Khorasan Razavi Workers’ House identified the wide gap between wages and living costs as the most significant problem for workers and retirees, stating that despite wage adjustments based on inflation rates, the rapid rise in prices has further reduced the purchasing power of these groups. Seyed Hossein Rasouli added that, given the steep inflation in basic goods in recent months, the wages received by workers and retirees only cover about two weeks of their monthly expenses. He criticized the government, as the country’s largest employer, for not considering workers’ satisfaction and welfare in its calculations.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Chakoshian, Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, in response to the Chamber of Commerce’s announcement regarding a “10% wage reduction for workers with Friday closures,” claimed: “This cannot be implemented because it is illegal, and no one can reduce a worker’s salary against labor laws; if such a violation occurs, it must be stopped.”

According to a report by the National Research Center, occupational accidents are the second leading cause of death in the country, with miners suffering the most due to the lack of safety systems and weak oversight. The rising death toll due to officials’ neglect of workplace safety is a clear example of the violation of workers’ human rights.

Furthermore, the Executive Secretary of the Saveh Workers’ House pointed out the harsh living conditions for workers and retirees, attributing the main cause to behind-the-scenes collusion among parliament members, government officials, and their economic team, whose promises were imposed on workers’ representatives in the Supreme Labor Council.

Additionally, a member of the Parliament’s Commission for Internal Affairs and Councils highlighted the problems faced by workers at Esfandeh Copper Mines in Arzooieh County, stating: “These miners work hundreds of meters underground for a monthly income of 10 to 12 million tomans, which is unjust.” Yasser Soleimani further noted: “Workers at one of the copper mines in this region must travel three hours daily on dirt roads to reach their workplace and return.”

Moreover, the President of the Association of Trade Unions of East Azerbaijan Province stated that some employers, to evade the 4% insurance premium for hazardous jobs, dismiss workers before they reach 20 years of service to prevent them from qualifying for early retirement benefits. Others avoid past debts by changing the factory name and registering a new workshop code. Saeed Fattahi added that the issuance of Directive 1777 by the Social Security Organization has exacerbated problems for workers in hazardous jobs.

Additionally, the Vice President of the Supreme Council of Islamic Labor Councils announced that 70% of workers covered by labor law, despite the minimum wage increase this year, still face a livelihood deficit of around eight million tomans compared to the actual cost of living. Ali Khodaei attributed this situation to unrealistic wage-setting policies, government neglect of the industrial sector, migration of skilled labor, and workers turning to precarious jobs.

According to the recent resolution of the Supreme Labor Council, workers’ housing allowance has remained unchanged at 900,000 tomans for the second consecutive year. This is despite the latest data from Iran’s Statistical Center, which shows that annual housing sector inflation has reached 40.8%. The lack of an increase in this allowance comes at a time when the value of the dollar has risen by 60% since the beginning of the year and the general inflation rate has reached 32% by the end of February. This glaring gap between the meager wage increases and rampant inflation has turned housing costs into a serious crisis for workers.

It is worth mentioning that Ali-Asghar Nakhai Rad, a member of Parliament, stated that workers’ purchasing power has decreased by 40% compared to the past. In recent years, workers’ wages have lagged behind inflation, and now we are facing an accumulation of this gap. He emphasized that, considering the possibility of higher inflation next year, the wage increase for workers in 2025 must exceed the inflation rate announced by the Central Bank.

The ILNA news agency reported that the heavy debt of the Social Security Organization to medical centers and pharmacies has deprived insured individuals of healthcare services. Esmaeili, Acting Director of Social Security’s Healthcare Management in Markazi Province, stated that employers’ debts to Social Security amount to 1.14 quadrillion tomans, which is six times the amount Social Security owes to medical centers. Khosrow Ranjbar, a retirees’ rights activist, also criticized this situation, stressing that workers and retirees have been deprived of medical care due to managers’ irresponsibility and employers’ profiteering, even though insurance premiums have been deducted from their wages but not paid to Social Security.

Other demands of the labor community include the prohibition of child labor and the provision of free education for children, the establishment of the highest safety standards in work environments, and the elimination of discriminatory laws against women and migrant workers.

Despite Iranian women workers being described as the cheapest labor force in the country, their employment situation is worse than that of men, and they enjoy fewer legal protections, rights, and benefits. Moreover, women workers have less bargaining power compared to their male colleagues. Production and industrial units are less inclined to hire married women, and in some cases, single women are employed under the condition that they do not marry or become pregnant.

The situation of female workers in small workshops is even worse. Women make up half of the workers in brick kilns, where they work under extremely harsh conditions.

In Iran, Workers’ Day arrives amid continued privatization of factories and state-owned companies without considering the long-term interests of workers, a situation that has led to widespread labor protests.

A Statistical Analysis of the Iranian Workers’ Situation in the Last Year

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Anisha Asadollahi, Asghar Amirzadegan, Haft Tappeh, Hassan Saeedi, HRA, human rights activists in iran, International Workers' Day, Keyvan Mohtadi, Mehran Raoof, Mohammad Sadeghi, Nahid Khodajoo, Nasrin Javadi, Othman Esmaeili, Rasoul Bodaghi, Reza Shahabi, Yadi Bahari

In observance of International Workers’ Day, this report by Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) provides statistics on the condition of Iranian workers over the past year, highlighting their ongoing struggle with violations of labor rights and unionization, low wages, wage arrears, and workplace safety concerns.

Workplace Accidents

According to the Statistics and Publication Center of HRA, in the past twelve months (from May 1, 2023, to April 27, 2024), at least 9,879 workers have been killed or injured in workplace accidents based on reports made by either state media or workers’ rights organizations.

According to HRA’s Statistics and Publication Center, over the past twelve months (from May 1, 2023, to April 27, 2024), at least 9,879 workers have been killed or injured in workplace accidents as reported by either state media or workers’ rights organizations.

During this period, at least 1,680 workers died in work-related accidents, with 1,514 deaths reported by ten official sources and the remaining 166 deaths reported by independent organizations. These statistics are likely underestimations due to the lack of transparency from relevant institutions and their failure to release information to the public.

Additionally, 3,066 workers were injured at work, with 2,333 cases mentioned in six official reports or statements made by officials at the national or provincial level. Civil and labor rights associations reported the remaining 733 cases.

Here is a breakdown of the types of accidents:

   . 23.87% were due to falls from height
   . 19.71% were caused by fires
   . 9.58% were related to construction accidents
   . 7.59% involved impacts from hard objects
   . 7.59% occurred in factories
   . 6.69% were linked to well accidents
   . 6.51% involved electrocutions
   . 4.70% were related to vehicle accidents
   . 4.16% occurred in mines
   . 3.80% were due to gas poisoning
   . 2.53% happened in petrochemical plants and refineries
   . 1.08% were due to drownings
   . 0.90% were related to agricultural accidents
   . 0.90% were caused by poisonings
   . 0.18% were due to heat strokes
   . 0.18% were caused by frostbites

Wage Arrears (Withheld wages) 

According to statistics from HRA’s Statistics and Publication Center, at least 84,226 workers are owed wage arrears totaling more than 1,052 combined monthly payments.

As Figure below indicates, public sector companies and organizations account for 54% of these wage arrears. The private sector is responsible for 31%, while the energy sector accounts for 4%. The type of organizations responsible for the remaining 11% of wage arrears is unknown.

Unfortunately, many official reports do not specify the number of workers waiting for wage arrears, making it difficult to provide an accurate figure.

Peaceful Assembly and Association

During the reporting period, media and civil society organizations have documented 428 workers’ protests and 1,448 trade union protests, marking increases of 100.5% and 90% respectively compared to the previous year. A significant portion of labor protests likely goes unreported.

Major labor events in the country over the past year include the workers’ protests of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company and Railway Services & Technical Construction Engineering, Iran National Steel Industrial Group, Aghajari Oil and Gas Exploitation Company, teachers and educators, civil servant pensioners and the pensioners from the Social Security Organization, national telecommunication company.

Over the past 12 months, numerous cities across the country witnessed a variety of labor protests with demands ranging from addressing insurance issues to resolving wage arrears, which sometimes accumulate up to 30 months. A total of 97 labor strikes and 37 union strikes were reported, representing a decrease of 14% and 90.6% respectively.

Iranian workers’ efforts to organize and persist in their demands have been remarkable. However, the suppression of unionization attempts, the arrest and imprisonment of labor activists, and the denial of workers’ rights to protest have led to some labor protests being sporadic and disorganized.

In Iran, traditional labor unions do not exist. Workers’ efforts to form independent unions are suppressed through security crackdowns and politically motivated allegations against workers’ rights activists, as seen in the cases of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Syndicate, the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, and the Independent Iranian Workers Union (IIWU).

Many workers have been summoned, arrested, or convicted for peaceful activities such as protesting low wages. In the past 12 months, at least 51 workers and workers’ rights activists have been arrested. The most notable cases include the arrest of 32 protesting workers in two mines at the Aq-Darreh gold mines and several contractors working at the South Pars/North Dome gas-condensate field located in Bushehr.

Currently imprisoned workers’ rights activists include Reza Shahabi, Hassan Saeedi, Nahid Khodajoo, Othman Esmaeili, Anisha Asadollahi, Keyvan Mohtadi, Nasrin Javadi, Yadi Bahari, Mehran Raoof, and union activists Rasoul Bodaghi, Mohammad Sadeghi, and Asghar Amirzadegan.

Additionally, 26 workers and workers’ rights activists have been sentenced to a total of 460 months in prison, 86 months of suspended sentences, 1,258 lashes, and fines totaling 42.5 million tomans.

In the reporting period, 10 workers committed suicide, including one self-immolation. Additionally, 48 workers faced arraignment, 5 verdicts were enforced, and 2 activists’ residences were searched. Ten workers were summoned by security or judicial institutions. In the same period, 47 factories were closed, 2,514 workers were laid off, 3,188 workers lost their jobs involuntarily, and 2,272,461 workers lacked any labor insurance scheme. Furthermore, 3,996 workers were suspended from work due to factory closures or other reasons for which the employer was responsible.

Moreover, 26 trade union activists were arrested, and 66 were sentenced to a total of 1,495 months in prison, 18 months of suspended sentences, 72 lashes, 24 months of exile, and fines totaling 185,700 tomans. Additionally, 57 trade union activists were summoned by security or judicial authorities, 130 were laid off, and 13 were forced into retirement and 11 were banned from leaving the country. Wage arrears of 335 months affected 13,600 workers. Security forces searched two activists’ residences, 9 verdicts were enforced, and 14 suicides were reported. Public Security Police or other authorities closed 2,049 businesses.

Over the past 12 months, retired and working teachers and educators from dozens of cities across the country have continued their protests, strikes, and rallies. They have staged numerous actions to demand improvements to their working conditions. The report recorded 44 protest gatherings and 4 labor strikes by teachers. As a result of these protests, 21 people were arrested, 49 were summoned, and 36 were convicted. Additionally, 10,600 people faced at least 48 months of wage arrears. Sixty-one teachers were laid off or banned from teaching, and 9 were forced into early retirement. Furthermore, 64 teachers and teachers’ union activists were sentenced to a total of 1,495 months in prison, 18 months of suspended sentences, 24 cases of social deprivations, 72 lashes, and fines totaling 125.7 million tomans.

The Economic Situation

Referring to the disparity between workers’ wages and inflation, as well as the devaluation of the national currency, Saeed Mostafa-Neajd, Executive Secretary of Worker House (Khaneh Kargar) in East Azerbaijan Province, stated that “If workers’ wages are not reconsidered, they will turn to jobs like motorcycle delivery and garbage collecting instead of remaining in manufacturing jobs. Their concerns have shifted from housing and cars to basic sustenance, worrying about having enough to eat for tomorrow.

In response to the “10% reduction in workers’ salaries due to closing on Thursdays,” Mohammad Chakoshian, Deputy Minister of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare, stated, “This plan cannot be implemented as it goes against labor law to reduce wages. If such a violation occurs, it must be addressed and prevented.”

The ILNA news agency reported that, given the current economic situation in the country, workers earning just $3 per day cannot afford a simple meal. Despite a 35% increase in minimum wages, the purchasing power of workers’ households has been greatly diminished by high inflation and the devaluation of the currency. To buy a basic car like the Pride, a worker would need to save 19 months’ worth of wages without spending any money.

Davoud Mirzaie, Executive Secretary of Worker House (Khaneh Kargar) in Saveh blamed secret collusion between members of parliament and the government for the difficult living conditions faced by the workers and pensioners. He stated that instead of fulfilling their empty promises, they imposed different policies on the representatives of workers in the Supreme Labor Council.

“The government and its economic team, along with members of parliament, have made it more difficult to retire by raising the retirement age and extending the required work record for retirement. They have also effectively abolished the law regarding difficult and hazardous occupations. The Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare has made decisions worse than in previous years, suppressing labor rights once again, which will worsen the living conditions of millions of retired workers,” Mirzaie added.

Criticizing the reduction in real wages, a board member of Worker House in Qom Province stated that this decrease will further impoverish workers. The minimum wages were set without accounting for real inflation. “The worker’s representative was not treated fairly in Supreme Labor Council meetings, and the government unilaterally made decisions regarding the minimum wage. The worker community has been trapped in a dire situation due to the wrong and unwise decisions of some officials.”

According to Nader Moradi, a workers’ rights advocate, the monthly cost of living for a worker’s household is at least 30 million tomans. With their current wages, workers can barely survive, and their monthly income may only cover expenses for one week. Workers cannot afford the costs of adequate food, medical expenses, and education. In an interview with ILNA, Moradi warned about the Supreme Labor Council’s decision: “This level of disregard for the law is unprecedented. If wages this year do not keep pace with inflation, the subsistence crisis will worsen, leaving no way out.”

Referring to the challenging situation faced by female workers in Iran, Binazir Jalahi, a former official from the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour, and Social Welfare, confirmed that labor laws for women are largely not enforced. She also highlighted gender wage discrimination, noting that women earn less than men for the same work and do not receive child and guardian allowances.

Regarding the cost of living, the latest report from the Statistical Center of Iran indicates that the average cost of housing in Tehran is 80 million tomans per square meter. This amount, as estimated by the Entekhab website, is equivalent to a full-time worker’s entire annual income.

Tasnim News Agency reported that a directive from the Ministry of Education, which prohibits teachers from retiring during the school year and has been affirmed by the court of Administrative Justice, faced objections from some teachers. In the teachers’ appeal, they argued that the directive infringes on their rights since the retirement dates of many teachers fall within the school year. Teachers have traditionally retired at any semester, and they further objected that the directive limiting retirement after the start of the school year violates the law and the ministry’s justifications of potential disruptions in students’ education stem from its own mismanagement.

Regarding this year’s minimum wages, an official from the Social Security Retired Center of Tehran stated, “Since the workers’ representatives did not sign the resolution and the minimum wage for this year was set against legal criteria and without workers’ agreement, workers have the right to file a complaint.” The official added, “A 22% increase in pensions is insufficient and will push many pensioners from the Social Security Organization into absolute poverty. Article 96 of the Social Security law clearly states that pensions should increase in line with the cost of living. Therefore, the Supreme Labor Council’s resolution should not be followed for increasing pensions.”

Prohibition of child labor and the provision of free education for children, the establishment of the highest level of safety standards in the workplace, and the elimination of discriminatory laws for women and migrant workers are other demands of the working community.

Despite being a part of the cheapest labor force in the country, women’s labor situation is worse than men, with fewer benefits, lower wages, and a lesser degree of legal protection. Even worse, women have less bargaining power in the workplace.

Employers in manufacturing industries are less willing to recruit married women, and in some cases, single women’s recruitment is conditioned on not getting married or pregnant. Female workers’ situation in small workshops is far worse. Women comprise half of the workers occupied at bricklaying, a laborious and onerous work.

The ongoing privatization of government-owned industrial sectors has further degraded work conditions, job security, and benefits, leading to an increase in workers’ protests and strikes.

As Iranian workers celebrate International Workers’ Day there is little prospect of improvement through domestic reform or remedy. Nonetheless, the State must uphold its international human rights obligations under both the ICCPR and the ICESCR, ensuring that workers and labor rights activists are free to peacefully assemble and associate without fear of reprisal.

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

A Statistical Analysis of the Iranian Workers’ Situation in the Last Year

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Esmail Abdi, HRANA, International Workers' Day, Iranian workers, Jafar Ebrahimi, Keyvan Mohtadi, Latif Roozikhah, Mehran Raoof, Mohammad Reza Ramezanzadeh, Nasrin Javadi, Rasoul Bodaghi, Reza Shahabi, Wage Arrears, Yadi Bahari

As International Workers’ Day approaches, Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) shed light on the dire situation of Iranian workers over the past year. The HRA provides statistics on workers’ most pressing issues, including the denial of labor rights and unionization, low wages, wage arrears, and workplace safety issues.

Workplace Accidents

Iran ranks 102nd in the world in terms of occupational safety. According to the Statistics and Publication Center of HRA, in the past twelve months (from May 1, 2022, to April 27, 2023), at least 3576 workers have been killed or injured based on 2314 reports of work accidents made by either state media or workers’ rights organizations.

During this period, 3,066 workers were injured at work, with 2,333 cases mentioned in six official reports or comments made by officials at the national or provincial level. Civil and labor rights associations reported the remaining 733 cases.

At least 510 workers lost their lives in work-related accidents, with 250 deaths reported by eight official sources and the remaining 260 deaths reported by independent organizations. However, it is important to note that these statistics are likely an underestimation due to the lack of transparency of relevant institutions and their failure to disseminate information to the public.

Inconsistencies in official statements also suggest that official figures should be viewed with skepticism. For example, the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization stated that “during the last 10 years (2008-2018), 15,997 workers lost their lives in work accidents, of which 230 were women.” Considering these figures, the average number of work-related fatal casualties should be significantly higher than the officially-announced death toll of 250.

Falling from tall heights is the leading cause of death in work-related incidents, accounting for 41.5% of workplace deaths over the past ten years, according to official reports.

Occupational Accident Classification Chart

In the past year, based on data gathered by HRA’s Statistics and Publication Center, workplace accidents, illustrated by Figure 1, occurred in the following sectors: construction (20%), fires (19%), wells (9%), falling from tall heights (9%), being struck by hard objects (8%), factories (8%), motor vehicles (8%), electrocutions (6%), mines (6%), suffocation (5%), and petrochemical, oil, and gas refineries (2%).

Wage Arrears (Withheld wages) 

According to statistics compiled by HRA’s Statistics and Publication Center, at least 14,232 workers are owed wage arrears amounting to more than 712 combined monthly payments.

the distribution of wage arrears
As Figure 2 shows, public sector companies and organizations are responsible for 80% of these wage arrears. This figure is 14% for the private sector and 4% for the energy sector. The nature of the organizations responsible for 2% of these wage arrears remains unknown.
Unfortunately, many official reports fail to provide the number of workers awaiting wage arrears, which prevents the reporting of an accurate number.

Peaceful Assembly and Association

During the reporting period, a total of 1,616 reports on workers’ protest rallies and strikes were registered, indicating a decrease compared to previous years. This reduction can be partly attributed to the outbreak of nationwide protests sweeping across the country since September 17, 2022.

Media and civil society organizations have reported 225 workers’ protests and 772 trade union protests, which marks a 55% and 61% decrease, respectively, compared to the previous year.

Major labor events in the country over the past year include the workers’ protests of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company and Karun Agro-industry Company, farmers, teachers and educators, the pensioners from the Social Security Organization.

Over the past 12 months, numerous cities across the country witnessed a wide range of labour protests with various demands such as addressing insurance issues and wage arrears, the latter sometimes accumulating up to 30 months. In total, 113 labour strikes and 395 union strikes have been reported, showing a decrease of 70% and 50% respectively.

However, solidarity among workers to pursue their demands has been unprecedented. Suppression of any attempt toward unionization and forming independent labor organizations, the arrest and imprisonment of labor activists, and the denial of workers’ rights to protest are major reasons for making some workers’ protests sporadic and disorganized.

In Iran, there are no labor unions in the conventional sense. Workers’ efforts to form an independent workers union are suppressed by security and politically-tainted allegations against workers’ rights activists. This can be seen in the cases of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, Haft Tappeh SugarCane Syndicate, the Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, and the Independent Iranian Workers Union (IIWU).

Many workers have been summoned, arrested or convicted for peaceful activities such as protests against low wages, signing a petition in support of labour unions, posting photos of workers’ demonstrations on the internet or even receiving an invitation letter to attend world trade union meetings.

At least 49 workers and workers’ rights activists have been arrested in the past 12 months. The top three cases are the arrest of 16 protesting workers at Sungun copper mine in Varzeghan, 12 striking workers of the Tehran bus workers’ syndicate, and 7 protesting workers of Karun Cement Factory.

Many workers have been summoned, arrested or convicted for peaceful activities such as protests against low wages, signing a petition in support of labor unions, posting photos of workers’ demonstrations on the internet or even receiving an invitation letter to attend world trade union meetings. The most well-known imprisoned workers’ rights activists include Reza Shahabi, Keyvan Mohtadi, Nasrin Javadi, Arash Johari, Yadi Bahari, Mehran Raoof along with the trade union activists Mohammad Habibi, Jafar Ebrahimi, Rasoul Bodaghi, Esmail Abdi, Latif Roozikhah, and Mohammad-Reza Ramezanzadeh.

Additionally, 42 workers and workers’ rights activists have been sentenced to a combined total of 162 months imprisonment, 129 months of suspended imprisonment, a combined total of 510 lashes and paying a total fine of 51 million Tomans. In the reporting period, 6 workers committed self-immolation and 24 workers committed suicide. 21 were summoned by security or judicial institutions. 1,838 workers were subjected to layoffs; 4,228 involuntarily lost their jobs; 1,203,709 workers remain deprived of any labour insurance scheme; 2,783 workers were suspended from work due to factory closure or other reasons for which the employer is liable.

Moreover, 162 trade union activists were arrested. 34 trade union activists were sentenced to a combined total of 863 months imprisonment. 65 individuals were summoned by security or judicial authorities and 1,435 businesses were closed by Public Security Police or other authorities.

During the past 12 months, continuing their protests in the year before, retired and working teachers and educators from dozens of cities across the country staged numerous protests, strikes, and rallies to ask for their demands. 151 of their protest gatherings and 20 labour strikes have been recorded. Following these protests, 148 teachers were arrested, 55 were summoned, 38 were convicted. 11 protesting teachers were subjected to violence by police and security forces. 34 teachers and teachers union activists were sentenced to a combined total of 863 months in prison and a combined total fine of 40 million Tomans.

The Economic Situation

Hasan Habibi, a board member of the Supreme Center of Islamic Labor Councils informed the public about a sweeping wave of worker complaints regarding insufficient annual salaries. Workers are requesting repeal and re-adjustment with inflation. Habibi stated, “The annual salary increase enacted under the pressure of the government representatives at the Supreme Labor Council meeting is at variance with labor code. Although officially announced inflation was at least 50%, wages were only raised by 27% this year.”

Habibi also added, “It remains to be seen whether the court of Administrative Justice will compromise with the employers or rule in favor of workers. In the case of workplace safety and the repeal of petition 179, the complaints have gone nowhere. We hope their course of action will change this time.”

Nasrollah Daryabeigi, the Executive Secretary of the Workers’ House, which is the de facto national trade union center in Iran, pointed out that employers do not pay worker’s insurance in a timely manner, and 90% of workers currently have partial employment contracts.

The Executive Secretary of the Zanjan Workers’ House also asserted that the labor code, particularly Article 41, has been violated in the determination of annual wage increases. “While the government itself has set the poverty line at a monthly income of 14 million Tomans, it recognizes the minimum wage as half of this line,” he argues.

Faramarz Tofighi, the head of the Wage Committee at the Supreme Center of Islamic Labor Councils, pointed out that the delay in starting the work of this committee negatively affects workers’ living conditions. “The subsistence crisis has come to a head, and any increase in wages below one hundred percent never catches up with the livelihood expenses. To have a normal life, workers should earn two to three times more.”

Bahram Hasani-Nejad, a workers’ rights activist and the former head of the Chadormalu Mining Workers’ Association, clarifies that assuming the minimum standards for livelihood and basic needs, a household needs to earn 17 to 18 million monthly.

As many experts and workers’ rights activists have pointed out, the minimum wage, as announced by the Supreme Labor Council, falls lower than the actual inflation rate and consumption expenditure of households. This explains the increase in workers’ protests and their disempowerment to raise their voices.

Prohibition of child labor and the provision of free education for children, the establishment of the highest level of safety standards in the workplace, and the elimination of discriminatory laws for women and migrant workers are other demands of the working community.

Despite being a part of the cheapest labor force in the country, women’s labor situation is worse than men, with fewer benefits, lower wages, and a lesser degree of legal protection. Even worse, women have less bargaining power in the workplace.

Employers in manufacturing industries are less willing to recruit married women, and in some cases, single women’s recruitment is conditioned on not getting married or pregnant. Female workers’ situation in small workshops is far worse. Women comprise half of the workers occupied at bricklaying, a laborious and onerous work.

The ongoing privatization of government-owned industrial sectors has further degraded work conditions, job security, and benefits, leading to an increase in workers’ protests and strikes.

As Iranian workers celebrate International Workers’ Day there is little prospect of improvement through domestic reform or remedy. Nonetheless, the State must uphold its international human rights obligations under both the ICCPR and the ICESCR, ensuring that workers and labor rights activists are free to peacefully assemble and associate without fear of reprisal.

For further inquiries please contact Skylar Thompson, Senior Advocacy Coordinator Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA) at [email protected]

First six months of Ebrahim Raisi as Justiciary Chief of Iran; 1000 years of prison sentences and 1500 lashes for activists

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Other
Abbas Lesani, Abbas Nouri Shadkam, Abdollah Ghasimpour, Abdul Azim Arouji, Abolfazl Ghadyani, Adel Samaei, Ali Amin Amlashi, Ali Babai, Ali Bagheri, Ali Bani Sadeh, Ali Johari, Ali Mozafari, Alireza Habibi, Alireza Kafai, Alireza Saghafi, Aliyeh Eghdam Doost, Amanollah Balochi, Amin Seybar, Amir Amirgholi, Amir Hossein Mohammadi Fard, Amir Mahdi Jalayeri, Amir Mahdi Sedighara, Amir Salar Davoodi, Anoushah Ashouri, aras amiri, Aref Mohammadi, Arsham Rezai, Arshia Rahmati, Asadollah Jaberi, Asal Mohammadi, Asghar Amirzadegani, Ata’ollah Ahsani, Atefeh Rangriz, Athena Daemi, Azam Najafi, Bahman Kord, Bahman Salehi, Baktash Abtin, Bani Naami, Bapir Barzeh, Barzan Mohammadi, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Behnam Mousavand, Behrooz Zare, Behzad Ali Bakhshi, Behzad Shahsavar, Bijan Ahmadi, Dariush Abdar, Davood Mahmoodi, Davood Razavi, Ebrahim Reisi, Edris Kasravi, Eghbal Shabani, Ehsan Kheybar, Ehteram Sheykhi, Emad Jaberi, Esmael Bakhshi, Esmail Gerami, Esmail Jaadeleh, Farhad Sheykhi, Farideh Jaberi, Farideh Toosi, Farokhlegha aramarzi, Farough Izadi Nia, Farzad Bahadori, Fatemeh Bakhtari, Fatemeh Mohammadi, Feisal Saalebi, Firouz Ahmadi, Ghafour Barham, Golraki Ebrahimi Irai, Haleh Safarzadeh, Hamed Ayenehvand, Hamid Balkhkanloo, Hamid Reza Rahmati, Hasan Saeedi, Hashem Zeinali, Hossein Ali Montazeri, Hossein Ansari Zadeh, Hossein Ghadyani, Hossein Gholami, Hossein Habibi, Hossein Janati, Ishaq Rouhi, Ismail Hosseini Koohkamarai, Jafar Azimzadeh, Jafar Pekand, Jafar Rostami, Javad Lari, Javad Zolnouri, Kamal Jafari Yazdi, Kambiz Misaghi, Kazem Safabakhsh, Keyvan Bajan, Keyvan Nejadrasoul, Khadijeh (Leila) Mirghafari, Khaled Hosseini, Khalil Karimi, Khalil Malaki, Kheirollah Bakhshi, Kianoush Aslani, Kianoush Ghahramani, Kiumars Marzban, Leila Hosseinzadeh, Mahmood Masoumi, Mardas Taheri, Maryam Amiri, Maryam Mokhtari, Marzieh Amiri, Masoud Ajloo, Masoud Hamidi, Masoud Kazemi, Matin Amiri, Mehdi Moghadari, Michael White, Milad Mohammad Hosseini, Mino Riazati, Mir Mousa Ziagari, Mobinollah Veysi, Moein Mohammadi, Mohammad Ali Zahmatkesh, Mohammad Asri, Mohammad Dorosti, Mohammad Hossein Ghasempour, Mohammad Khanifar, Mohammad Mirzai, Mohammad Najafi, Mohammad Potaiesh, Mohammad Rasoulof, Mohammad Reza Aghajari, Mohammad Reza Khatami, Mohammad Saber Malek Raeissi, Mohsen Haghshenas, Mohsen Haseli, Mohsen Shojai, Mojgan Keshavarz, Mojgan Lali, Mojtaba Dadashi, Mojtaba Parvin, Monika Alizadeh, Monireh Arabshahi, Nader Afshari, Nader Fotourehchi, Nahid Khodakarami, Najaf Mehdipour, Nariman Noroozi, Nasrin Javadi, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Negin Tadrisi, Nejat Bahrami, Nima Saffar, Oldoz Ghasemi, Omid Asadi, Omid Azadi, Parvin Soleimani, Peyman Mirzazadeh, Pooneh Nasheri, Raheleh Rahimipour, Rahim Gholami, Rahim Mohammadpour, Rahman Abed, Rasoul Bodaghi, Rasoul Taleb Moghadam, Reza Khand Mahabadi, Reza Makian (Malek), Rezvaneh Ahmad Khanbeigi, Roozbeh Meshkinkhat, Rostam Abdollah Zadeh, Saab Zahiri, Saba Kord-Afshari, Sadegh Larijani, Sadegh Zibaklam, Saeed Eghbali, Saeed Seyfi Jahan, Saghar Mohammadi, Sahand Moali, Sahar Kazemi, Sahar Khodayari, Sajad Shahiri, Salar Taher Afshar, Salman Afra, Samko Jafari, Sanaz Allahyari, Sara Saei, Sepideh Gholian, Shabnam Issa Khani, Shaghayegh Makai, Shahryar Khodapanah, Shaker Maravi, Sharmin Yomni, Sheida Abedi, Shima Babai Zeydi, Shir Ahmad Shirani, Shirko Ali Mohammadi, Siamand Shahsavar, Siavash Rezaian, Simin Eyvazzadeh, Simin Mohammadi, Sina Darvish Omran, Sofia Mombini, Sohrab Malaki, Taher Sufi, Tofigh Mahmoudi, Tohid Amir Amini, Vali Nasiri, Vida Movahed, Yasaman Aryani, Yousef Jalil, Yousef Salahshour, Zahra Modarreszadeh, Zaman Fadai

Ebrahim Raisi is a former Custodian and Chairman of Astan Quds Razavi from 2016 to 2019 and a member of so-called “death commission” during the 1988 executions which were series of state-sponsored execution of political prisoners across the country. He succeeded Sadegh Larijani as the Judiciary Chief (the head of judicial system of Iran) in 2019. Being appointed as the Judiciary Chief by the Supreme leader, Ebrahim Raisi claimed that he wants the Iranian people to taste “the sweet flavor of justice” by reforming the judicial system to bring more justice and fairness. Six months after being appointed to the new position, the verdicts of political prisoners indicate that the pressure is increased on the civil rights activists and opposition groups in Iran. During six months of Ebrahim Raisi in office, political activists were sentenced to 1,027 years in prison and 1428 lashes.  Therefore, the verdicts targeting civil rights activists and opposition groups were increased by 119% compared to a similar time period during his predecessor, Sadegh Larijani, who was in office for nine and half years. Although Larijani faced massive demonstrations such as uprisings across the country in January 2017 and August 2018, protests in the Khuzestan province, and Dervishes protests which Raisi has not faced any yet.

Statistics Comparison of Verdicts with the Former Judiciary Chief

The following is a summary of verdicts between March 8, 2019 to September 8, 2019 which was gathered and analyzed by the Department of Statistics and Publication of the Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI): According to statistics, during this period, both sentences against political and civil activists or years of sentences were increased. 211 political or civil activists including advocates of freedom of expression, women rights activists, syndicates activists, students, ethnicity rights activists, labor rights activists, minority rights advocates, and religion activists were sentenced by the Revolutionary Court across the country to 1027 and six months of imprisonment, 418 million and 350 thousand Tomans of fines, and 428 lashes. Out of these numbers, 966 years and 8 months in prison sentences and 30 years and 10 months are suspended prison sentences. In comparison to the same period when Larijani was the Judiciary Chief, March 8 to September 8, 2018, 278 political and civil activists were sentenced to 468 years and one month in prison, 254 million Tomans fines, and 891 lashes. This comparison is based on the numbers of individual cases but mass sentences for the arrestees of uprisings such as 232 verdicts of Gonabadi dervishes in the case of so-called “Golestan Haftom” have been excluded. Overall, these statistics indicated that although the number of arrestees has been decreased in Raisi’s term but the average number of verdicts in comparison to the same period in the Larijani’s term has been increased.

The Names of 211 Activists Who Were Sentenced to Prison Term or Lashes During Ebrahim Raeissi’s term

Kiumars Marzban, Shima Babai Zeydi, Dariush Abdar, Mahmood Masoumi, Behnam Mousavand, Saeed Eghbali, Mojgan Lali, Saeed Seyfi Jahan, Shaghayegh Makai, Nader Afshari, Anoushah Ashouri, Ali Johari, Marzieh Amiri, Ishaq Rouhi, Mohammad Saber Malek Raeissi, Shir Ahmad Shirani, Kamal Jafari Yazdi, Aras Amiri, Nejat Bahrami, Sadegh Zibaklam, Hamed Ayenehvand, Roozbeh Meshkinkhat, Mohammad Reza Aghajari, Nima Saffar, Khalil Karimi, Mehdi Moghadari, Golraki Ebrahimi Irai, Athena Daemi, Mohammad Reza Khatami, Mohammad Potaiesh, Khadijeh (Leila) Mirghafari, Reza Makian (Malek), Hashem Zeinali, Simin Eyvazzadeh, Ehsan Kheybar, Abdul Azim Arouji, Mohsen Haseli, Mohsen Shojai, Azam Najafi, Parvin Soleimani, Sharmin Yomni, Sara Saei, Arshia Rahmati, Masoud Hamidi, Ali Babai, Ismail Hosseini Koohkamarai, Farideh Toosi, Zahra Modarreszadeh, Amir Mahdi Jalayeri, Mohammad Najafi, Javad Lari, Rahim Mohammadpour, Masoud Kazemi, Sahar Kazemi, Amir Salar Davoodi, Milad Mohammad Hosseini, Abdollah Ghasimpour, Mohammad Hossein Ghasempour, Alireza Habibi, Baktash Abtin, Reza Khand Mahabadi, Keyvan Bajan, Yousef Salahshour, Davood Mahmoodi, Mohammad Asri, Siavash Rezaian, Najaf Mehdipour, Behrooz Zare, Ata’ollah Ahsani, Abbas Nouri Shadkam, Ali Bagheri, Masoud Ajloo, Behzad Ali Bakhshi, Kianoush Ghahramani, Nariman Noroozi, Rezvaneh Ahmad Khanbeigi, Amir Mahdi Sedighara, Ali Amin Amlashi, Barzan Mohammadi, Arsham Rezai, Nasrin Sotoudeh, Michael White, Abolfazl Ghadyani, Nader Fotourehchi, Farhad Sheykhi, Mardas Taheri, Aliyeh Eghdam Doost, Rasoul Bodaghi, Esmail Gerami, Javad Zolnouri, Hossein Gholami, Rahman Abed, Asghar Amirzadegani, Hamid Reza Rahmati, Eghbal Shabani, Mohammad Ali Zahmatkesh, Fatemeh Mohammadi, Bahman Kord, Sina Darvish Omran, Ali Mozafari, Leila Hosseinzadeh, Mojtaba Dadashi, Mohammad Rasoulof, Hossein Janati, Omid Asadi, Sahand Moali, Mohammad Mirzai, Bapir Barzeh, Shirko Ali Mohammadi, Keyvan Nejadrasoul, Tohid Amir Amini, Kianoush Aslani, Abbas Lesani, Mobinollah Veysi, Mojtaba Parvin, Kazem Safabakhsh, Rahim Gholami, Jafar Rostami, Aref Mohammadi, Peyman Mirzazadeh, Samko Jafari, Behzad Shahsavar, Siamand Shahsavar, Salman Afra, Shaker Maravi, Khaled Hosseini, Rasoul Taleb Moghadam, Hasan Saeedi, Hossein Ansari Zadeh, Feisal Saalebi, Saab Zahiri, Adel Samaei, Esmail Jaadeleh, Bani Naami, Omid Azadi, Rostam Abdollah Zadeh, Ali Bani Sadeh, Nasrin Javadi, Tofigh Mahmoudi, Davood Razavi, Amanollah Balochi, Farough Izadi Nia, Moein Mohammadi, Sheida Abedi, Firouz Ahmadi, Khalil Malaki, Simin Mohammadi, Bijan Ahmadi, Maryam Mokhtari, Saghar Mohammadi, Sohrab Malaki, Bahman Salehi, Sofia Mombini, Negin Tadrisi, Kheirollah Bakhshi, Shabnam Issa Khani, Shahryar Khodapanah, Farzad Bahadori, Kambiz Misaghi, Monika Alizadeh, Mino Riazati, Asadollah Jaberi, Ehteram Sheykhi, Emad Jaberi, Farideh Jaberi, Farokhlegha Faramarzi, Pooneh Nasheri, Saba Kord Afshari, Yasaman Aryani, Monireh Arabshahi, Mojgan Keshavarz, Vida Movahed, Matin Amiri, Maryam Amiri, Atefeh Rangriz, Edris Kasravi, Taher Sufi, Haleh Safarzadeh, Alireza Saghafi, Yousef Jalil, Fatemeh Bakhtari, Zaman Fadai, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Mohsen Haghshenas, Nahid Khodakarami, Raheleh Rahimipour, Alireza Kafai, Mohammad Dorosti, Salar Taher Afshar, Oldoz Ghasemi, Jafar Azimzadeh, Hossein Habibi, Hossein Ghadyani, Mir Mousa Ziagari, Sajad Shahiri, Jafar Pekand , Hamid Balkhkanloo, Ghafour Barham, Vali Nasiri, Sahar Khodayari, Amin Seybar, Esmael Bakhshi, Sepideh Gholian, Amir Amirgholi, Amir Hossein Mohammadi Fard, Sanaz Allahyari, Asal Mohammadi, Mohammad Khanifar.

It should be noted that in addition to aforementioned names, several other activists such as detained environmentalists, arrestees of the International Labor Day’s protest, Baha’i citizens, and supporters of opposition groups are waiting for their verdicts. Based on the outcome of the first six months of Raisi as the Chief Justice of Iran, the continuous increase of the verdicts in the following six months is predictable. On the other hand, according to several lawyers, Raisi is trying to implement a rule in which the appeal’s courts will be in session only after obtaining permissions from the Supreme Leader. Thus, appeals courts will acknowledge the primary verdict without reserving a chance for lawyers and convict to defend.

Ebrahim Raisi’s Background

In 1981, 20-year old Ebrahim Raisi was appointed as the prosecutor of Karaj. Later in 1985, he was appointed as the Deputy Prosecutor of Tehran. He was a member of so-called “death commission” during the 1988 political prisoners’ executions across the country. Raisi was appointed as Tehran’s prosecutor from 1989 to 1994. In 1994-1995, he was appointed as the head of the General Inspection Office. From 2004 until 2014, Raisi served as the First Deputy Chief Justice of Iran. He was later appointed as the Attorney-General of Iran in 2014-2016. He has also served as the Special Clerical Court prosecutor since 2012. He became the Chairman of Astan Quds Razavi on 7 March 2016 after the death of his predecessor Abbas Vaez-Tabasi. He is the second person to serve this office from 1979.  Raisi ran a presidential campaign in February 2017 but after losing the presidential election, he was appointed by Ali Khamenei as a member of Expediency Discernment Council.

The 1988 executions of the Iranian political prisoners were a series of state-sponsored execution of political prisoners, starting on 19 July 1988 and lasting for approximately five months. The majority of those who were killed were supporters of the Mujahedin Khalgh but supporters of other leftist factions such as Communist party were executed as well. The killings have been described as a political purge without precedent in the modern Iranian history, both in terms of scope and coverup. Different sources put the number of victims between 2500 and 30000. Most of the people who were executed had already served their sentences in prison. Hussein-Ali Montazeri, deputy of Supreme Leader of Iran between 1985-1989, named Ebrahim Raisi as one of the people who was in administration of the executions which according to Montazeri, was implemented by a four-men commission, later known as the “death committee”. According to Montazeri, the commission consisted of Ebrahim Raisi, Hossein Ali Nayyeri, Morteza Eshraghi, and Mostafa Pour Mohammadi.

Four Months Report of Workers’ Conditions in Iran

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Labor and Guilds
Abejdan, Ajand construction company, Ali Kashefi, Alireza Saghafi, Amir Amirgholi, Amirhosein Mohammadifar, Andimeshk municipality, Atefe Rangriz, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Borujerd Saman Tile, Chame Shir dam in Gachsaran, Choghazanbil world heritage site, Davoud Rezaei, Ebrahim Abbasmanjazi, Eghbal Shabani, Ehsan Ziaraty, Esmail Bakhshi, Farahnaz Shiri, Farhad Sheykhi, Farzaneh Zilabi, Ghodratollah Jalalvand, Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry, Haleh Safarzadeh, Hamid Mohammadipour, Hasan Saidi, HEPCO, Ilam, Iran Railways, Jafar Azimzadeh, Jahan Vegetable Oil Factory, Keyvan Samimi, Kurdistan’s Zagros Steel, Mahshahr petrochemical plant, Marzie Amiri, Maziar Seyyednejad, Nahid Khodaju, Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, Nasrin Javadi, Neda Naji, Parsabad-e-Moghan municipalities, Parvin Mohammadi, Rahim Khodabakhshi, Rasht, Reza Amjadi, Reza Shahabi, Saham-e-Edalat cooperative company, Sanaz Allahyari, Sedeh, Shadegan, South Pars Gas Field workers, Takestan Wire company, Tehran subway, Tofigh Mohammadi, Travers technical buildings lines, Valeh Zamani, Zaniar Dabaghian

Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) – The following is a four months overview of workers’ rights violations in Iran between February and May 2019, per information compiled and verified by the Statistics, Publications, and Achievements Division of Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRAI).

Domestic restrictions in Iran on independent human rights reporting make it difficult to capture the full extent of these issues on the ground. The following overview draws on the work of HRANA reporters, as well as a network of independent and verifiable sources, including other human rights associations operating outside of Iran’s borders.

 

Monthly Report of Workers in Iran in February 2019

Several workers were arrested and faced trial in February. Also, the purchasing power of workers was steadily decreased in this month. Abdolreza Azizi, a member of the Social Affairs Committee of the Iranian Parliament stated that workers have lost 70 percent of their purchasing power. Tens of workers died or were injured because of the lack of work safety and hundreds of them were laid off. Another ongoing problem for workers was having unpaid wages this month.

The unpaid wages were issues of concern for many of Iranian workers, for instance, workers of Borujerd Saman Tile, nurses of Azadi Hospital in Tehran, Abejdan (in Andika county) municipality workers, workers of Rasht, Sedeh, Ilam, Shadegan, and Parsabad-e-Moghan municipalities, workers of Jahan Vegetable Oil Factory, South Pars Gas Field workers, workers of the Saham-e-Edalat cooperative company, nurses of Namazi Hospital in Shiraz, technical workers of Iran Railways, workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry, Tehran subway, and Mashhad telecommunications had unpaid wages during this month.

Moreover, some of the workers in Iran Powder Metallurgy Complex, factories in Asaluyeh and Pars Saveh tire factory were fired or laid off this month. 500 workers of factories in Qazvin province were suspended and 800 workers were laid off in Asaluyeh as well. On the other hand, 52 workers died or were injured because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces.

Three prominent labor activists, Behnam Ebrahimzadeh, Jafar Azimzadeh, and Parvin Mohammadi were detained. The request of temporary release on bail for Parvin Mohammadi was denied by the Branch 102 of Fardis’s Criminal Court. Esmail Bakhshi, the detained labor activist of Haft Tappeh, faced three new charges: “spreading lies”, “propaganda against the state”, and “insulting to authorities”. Esmail Bakhshi’s attorney, Farzaneh Zilabi was summoned to the Branch three of the Shush county’s Revolutionary and General prosecutor’s office. In the same month, officers of Shush prosecutor’s office physically attacked Bakhshi’s sister and handcuffed his mother. This happened when his family was following up on his lawsuit. Later the family of this labor activist were summoned to the court.

In February, the attorney of several workers of Arak HEPCO reported that the cases of seven workers of this company were transferred to the Revolutionary Court. In 2018, 15 workers were sentenced to prison and lashes after last year’s protests. The appellate session of Davood Razaei, a board member of the syndicate of workers of Tehran and suburbs bus company, was held in the Branch 36 of Tehran Appellate Court. He was sentenced to five years in prison by the Branch 26 of the Revolution Court. Eghbal Shabani, labor activist in Sanandaj was arrested and Zaniar Dabaghian, another labor activist from Sanandaj, was sentenced to one-year prison term. A journalist was arrested in Qazvin because of reporting workers’ news in this month.

 

Monthly Report of Workers in Iran in March 2019

Several workers and activists were arrests, summoned, sentenced, received lash sentences, and were fired during this month.  Because of the lack of work safety, many workers died or were injured. Also, it has been stated that tens of thousands of workers encountered financial hardship because of their unpaid wages.

47 workers died or were injured because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces. The workers of Takestan Wire company, Ajand construction company, Chame Shir dam in Gachsaran, Travers technical buildings lines, Andimeshk municipality, Choghazanbil world heritage site, Kurdistan’s Zagros Steel Contractors, and Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry have unpaid wages in this month.

Ali Kashefi, chairman of Mashhad laundries union, reported that 50 businesses were closed, and their workers were unemployed; due to last year’s high inflation. Some of the waste collectors of Sadra municipality who already have three months of unpaid wages and were protesting for their unpaid wages were fired. At the middle of March, which is the Persian new year, chairman of the pioneers of labor union of workers society announced that at least 97300 workers had unpaid wages prior to the New Year’s Eve.

Jafar Azimzadeh, chairman of the Free Workers Union was sentences to 30 lashes. Parvin Mohammadi, vice president of this union was released on bail. Meanwhile, Esmail Bakhshi was transferred from Shush prison to Sheiban prison in Ahvaz.

Moreover, several citizens were arrested protesting against firing waste collectors of Sadra municipality. Rahim Khodabakhshi, general secretary of Shiraz University’s Arman union, Ehsan Ziaraty, head of Shiraz University’s Basij Student Organization, and Hamid Mohammadpour, former secretary of Arman union were among the detainees. Ebrahim Abbasmanjazi, one of the workers of Haft Tappeh was summoned to Shush’s prosecutor’s interrogating office by a notice. After interrogation and charging accusations, he was temporarily released.

The Banch 36 of Tehran’s Appeals Court sentenced Davood Razavi, member of Tehran ‌Bus Company’s workers’ labor union board, to five years in prison. According to the verdict, this decision is suspended for five years. Also, Maziar Seyyednejad, a labor activist who was arrested 3 months ago for workers’ protests in Khuzestan, was released from Sheiban prison of Ahvaz on bail until completion of the juristic process. He was treated terribly during his prison time.

Two other labor activists, Ghodratollah Jalalvand and Reza Amjadi, were arrested in this month by security officials and were moved to an unknown location. Reza Amjadi was released after a few days by bail until completion of the juristic process.

 

Monthly Report of Workers in Iran in April 2019

One of the most important news in this month was arresting and summon of labor activists and the security authorities’ pressure to prevent celebratory events for the international Labor Day. Tehran Bus Company’s workers’ union invited workers to protest by the Parliament building on May 1st. Some of the businesses were shut down and a lot of workers were laid off in this month, because of high inflation and rising costs of production.

105 workers died or were injured because of the lack of work safety. The worker of Oshnavieh municipality, Iran Powder Metallurgy factory, Ilam industrial slaughterhouse, Tehran Metro lines 1 and 4 services, Ahvaz Steel,Rasht and Sari municipalities, Cement production factory of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, Iranian railway company, Dehdasht hospital, Iran telecommunication company, and teachers of the schools outside Iran had unpaid wages this month. Chief executive officer of Hamshahri institute, the official news agency of Tehran municipality, stated that 104 of this institute’s personnel were laid off. 50 workers of Mojan engineering company, construction contractor of the central sewage treatment plant in the Bandar Emam petrochemical plant and 35 other workers in Keyvan food industries in Hamadan province were laid off.

Executive secretary of Mazandaran province worker’s house announced Neka Choob company was out of business and its workers were laid off. Tehran Bus Company’s workers’ union invited the workers to attend a protest by the Parliament on May 1st, in commemoration of the international Labor Day.

Amir Amirgholi, Sanaz Allahyari and Amirhosein Mohammadifar, members of “Gam”, a labor right defendant magazine, were detained. Thus, detention was one of the most important news on workers in April. Amir Amirgholi and Esmail Bakhshi were transferred from Ahvaz prisons to Evin prison in Tehran and their investigation trial was held in the Evin prosecutor’s office. Three labor activists, Ghaleb Hoseini, Mozafar Salehnia and Ahmad Taghizadeh, in the cities of Sanandaj and Urmiah were summoned by these cities ‘security authorities before labor’s day. Twelve labor activists in Jahannama Park of Karaj were arrested as well. Four of them, Parvin Mohammadi, Valeh Zamani, Alireza Saghafi, and Haleh Safarzadeh, were detained.

 

Monthly Report of Workers in Iran in May 2019

‏ The most important news in this month was the arrest of more than 50 labor activists and citizens on the international labor’s day celebration in May, by the Parliament. Meanwhile, hundreds of workers were laid off because of businesses’ shut down. In this month, Reza Shahabi attended the General Conference of Labor in Dijon/France.

106 workers died or were injured because of negligence in the oversight of safety conditions in their workplaces. On the other hand, more than 50 workers of “Navard Ivan” steel company who were working for more than 10 years in this factory, were laid off because of this factory being out of business. Also, more than 100 workers of Mahshahr Pipe Mill and Kurdistan Alborz tire, and 140 workers of Mahshahr petrochemical plant were laid off in this month. Meanwhile, 263 laid off workers of Asaluyeh South Pars, who had unpaid wages and premiums, wrote a letter to the minister of oil and demanded their rights. They wrote in their letter, that they “collect bread waste” for living.

‏In this month, Reza Shahabi attended the 52nd  Congress of the General Confederation of Labor in Dijon/France as the representative of the Tehran Bus Company’s workers’ union. He reported that Farahnaz Shiri, the first female bus driver in Tehran Bus Company was fired because of her gender. He also spoke about the problems and limitations of workers in this company.

‏Unpaid wages of the teachers around the country, workers of Ghoo vegetable oil company of Tehran, Ilam slaughterhouse, RSTC of Arak, Tabriz, and Shazand, Mahabad and Tabas municipalities, sugar beet farmers of Naghdeh sugar production company, coal mine workers of Malach Aram mine, physicians of Yazd University of Medical Sciences, and Karj Imam Khomeini hospital workers, wee one of the other problems which workers were encountering this month.

‏More than 50 people were arrested during the international labor day’s ceremony which was held by the Parliament. Despite release of some of the detainees by bail, some others like Marzie Amiri, Keyvan Samimi, Hasan Saidi, Atefe Rangriz, Nasrin Javadi, Nahid Khodaju, Neda Naji and Farhad Sheykhi were in custody, being in prions for about a month.

Representatives of labor unions of many countries around the world attending the 52nd Congress of the General Confederation of Labor in Dijon/France and Amnesty International, released two separated statements and demanded setting detainees of international Labor Day free without any conditions. Cases of labor activists, Esmail Bakhshi, Sepideh Gholian, Amir Amirgholi, Sanaz Allahyari, Amirhossein Mohammadifar, Asal Mohammadi and Ali Nejati, were sent to the Tehran’s Revolution Court. Although a bond was set for the detainees, the head of Evin prosecutor’s office prevented their release on bail. In addition, two labor activists in Sanandaj, Tofigh Mohammadi and Eghbal Shabani, were sentenced to two years in prison. More than 10 workers of Haft Tappeh were arrested or summoned by security authorities. There exact number of these workers is not known. They were arrested or summoned because of protesting the Islamic Labor Council of Haft Tappeh. Eshagh Rouhi, a labor activist from Sanandaj who was arrested at the same time of international Labor Day, was unable to pay the set bail and was held in prison. The trial of labor activist, Maziar Seyyednejad, was held in this month by the Revolution Court of Ahvaz.

 

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