Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, June 23, 2020—People from all walks of life are holding more gatherings and rallies protesting their poor living conditions. Workers of the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company in Shush, southwest Iran, held a rally for the eighth consecutive day on Monday, June 22, protesting company officials’ refusal to respond to their demands. These workers have officially launched a strike and are rallying outside the company site.
The protesting Haft Tappeh workers are demanding their delayed paychecks, improvements in working conditions, the company’s status being finalized, a return to work for all company employees, canceling all plans to privatize the company and extending the expiration date for employees’ medical plans.
“It appears that following negotiations and the promises provided last year, the problems have been revived considering the fact that the company CEO is involved in a court case,” said Ali Banisaad, a Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Co. labor activist. “Workers are working, and they demand their paychecks. This is why we have been forced to go on strike again,” he explained.
From 2015 to this day employees of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company have launched strikes on 125 different occasions, according to Banisaad.
“Is it right that in such circumstances when we are told to refrain from holding even small gatherings, that 500 or 1,000 workers are forced to hold a strike for their basic rights, such as their paychecks?” this labor activist asks considering the ongoing novel coronavirus crisis.
Employees of a tile factor in the city of Isfahan held a rally for the second consecutive day on Sunday, June 21, protesting their delayed paychecks. This gathering was held outside the factory site and employees were also protesting company officials not living up to their pledges.
These workers have not received our paychecks from March 21 to this day and despite holding numerous rallies protesting these circumstances no company official is listening to their issues. This has left the workers no choice but to once again reach out to the media to voice their protests and demands.
The Isfahan Tile Industrial Company, dating back to nearly fifty years ago, is one of the largest tile production factories in Iran. This company has a large share in Iran’s tile exports. However, time and again this company has faced full closure ever since the mullahs’ regime has launched its privatization campaign and imposed destructive policies through regime insiders placed in high positions of companies across the country. There is a high probability that economic dilemmas will force this tile company to shut down once again.
The medical staff of a hospital in the city of Piranshahr, western Iran, went on strike protesting attacks against this hospital and its medical staff by individuals linked to the mullahs’ regime. Reports indicate that following the death of an individual linked to the regime due to COVID-19 in the city of Piranshahr, family members of this individual poured into the city hospital and literally attacked and stabbed the hospital staff, leaving many wounded. The medical staff of this hospital is responding by holding a strike and demanding security while at work.
