Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, October 3, 2021—Active and retired teachers and education workers held rallies across the country on Sunday, protesting destructive government policies that are jeopardizing their livelihoods. The demonstrations were held in front of Majlis (parliament) in Tehran, Kermanshah, Ahvaz, Shiraz, Khorram Abad, Qazvin, and other cities.
In front of the Majlis, the teachers were chanting, “Teachers raise your voices and shout for your rights.” In Ahvaz, the protesters were chanting, “Teachers are awake and fed up with discrimination.” In Shiraz, a large group of teachers had gathered and were reiterating their demands.
“Implement your own laws,” one of the protesters said in front of the Majlis.
October 3 – Tehran, #Iran
Teachers protesting outside the regime's Majlis (parliament) to demand their rights.
"Teachers shout and demand your rights!" they chant.#IranProtests #اعتراضات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/MXb97Ub3vn— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 3, 2021
The protesting teachers are demanding regime authorities implement what is known as the "80 percent ranking plan” regarding the teachers’ salaries.
"The government and parliament are obliged to approve this initiative. If this initiative is approved and implemented, the legal basis for teachers’ wage will be at least 80 percent of that of faculty members, because teachers and members of faculty boards should be receiving equal salaries," the Iranian Teachers Coordination Council said in a statement at the beginning of the new school year.
The Iranian regime is stealing from the country’s teachers by maintaining their salaries at a low level. The poverty line in Iran is 120 million rials (about $437 per month). Yet many teachers receive a fraction of this sum.
October 3 – Ahvaz, southwest #Iran
Teachers protesting outside the local Education Department to demand their rights.
"Teachers are fed up with discrimination!" they chant.#IranProtests #اعتراضات_سراسریpic.twitter.com/4IS9okDij7— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 3, 2021
The minimum wage for teachers in Iran is 35 million rials, which means that they are paid about 1,300 euros a year. In Ireland, the minimum annual salary of a teacher is 30,000 euros, more than 23 times their Iranian colleagues. All the while, Irish teachers are among the lowest paid in Europe.
In Luxembourg, a teacher earns at least 95,000 euros. That means more than 73 times the salary of a teacher in Iran! To add insult to injury, Iranian teachers receive their salary with a delay. Some informal teachers are only receiving half their salaries. The authorities’ answer to the teachers’ protests is negligence and then oppression.
Many teachers have committed suicide in recent years due to poverty and not being able to provide for their basic needs.
Iranian teachers have been protesting since last year, but the regime has refrained from addressing their demands. As the start of the academic year neared, the teachers returned to the streets to resume their protests and remind the government of its duties.
October 3 – Shiraz, south-central #Iran
Teachers protesting outside the local Education Department demanding equal pay policies and higher pensions for retired teachers.#IranProtests #اعتراضات_سراسریpic.twitter.com/kSUX3KX0KD— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 3, 2021
This latest round of protests comes on the heels of ongoing protests that began on September 3 and have been ongoing nearly every day. Some of the teachers spend the night in front of the education ministry and resume their demonstrations during the day.
Last Saturday, teachers held simultaneous protests in several cities at the beginning of the new academic year. Saturday’s protest rallies also included retired teachers, who are facing severe economic problems as the regime refuses to adjust pensions with the growing inflation rate and the depreciating national currency.
Also protesting are “green report card holders,” teachers who have passed the Education Ministry’s employment test but have yet to be employed by the government. Some of the teachers had traveled to the capital from other cities to make their voices heard.
The continued protests by the teachers has become a cause of concern for the regime. On September 12, security forces attacked the protesters and targeted them with teargas.
October 3 – Tehran, #Iran
More footage of teachers beginning to shape their pre-scheduled protest rally outside the regime's Majlis (parliament) to demand their rights.
Regime security forces are also at the scene.#IranProtests #اعتراضات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/qHZ0phuuFP— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 3, 2021
The teachers held another round of protests in June, demanding the education ministry to provide them with employment opportunities.
Regime authorities have tried to downplay the protests and the demands of the teachers, claiming that some of the protesters have “failed their exams.”
Despite the shortage of teachers across Iran, the education ministry refrains from employing the teachers.
On Sunday, in addition to teachers, other communities held rallies in protest to poor economic conditions and bad government policies. In Khuzestan province, retired workers of Ahvaz Steel Company held the 11th consecutive day of their protest rallies. The protesters are demanding the government to raise their pensions based on the regime’s own laws, which states that pensions must be adjusted in accordance to the inflation rate. At the current rate, the workers pensions cover a small portion of their expenses.
October 3 – Ahvaz, southwest #Iran
Retired steel mill workers and pensioners rallying for their rights.#IranProtests#اعتراضات_سراسریpic.twitter.com/Py5EQ4cBRB— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 3, 2021
In Shush, Khuzestan province, the workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company held protest and reiterated demands they have been making in the past several years. The workers are faced with poor working conditions, lack of job security, unpaid wages, and bad management of the company. Haft Tappeh, Iran’s main producer of sugarcane products, has been spiraling down in recent years due to the regime’s destructive policies of handing over control of important companies to private owners who are linked to regime officials. The workers of Haft Tappeh started their latest round of protests six days ago, going on a strike that has continued until today.
October 3 – Shush, southwest #Iran
Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Company workers on strike for a sixth day demanding answers for their long-raised issues.#IranProtests#اعتراضات_سراسری pic.twitter.com/bSRykkazf7— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) October 3, 2021
In Isfahan, retired steel workers and pensioners held protest rallies. In Khorram Abad, pensioners protested poor living conditions and low pensions. In Kerman, coalmine workers demonstrated in protest to unpaid wages.
