Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, April 10, 2021—Workers of the Zarand Wagon Factory in the city of Zarand, central Iran, gathered at the entrance of the factory on Thursday, April 8, and held a rally protesting low wages.
The workers, who have been protesting for three days, say the former CEO of the company has not fulfilled his promise to increase their wages earlier this year.
Protesters say that during their rally in front of the Labor Office, the head of this office called their demands "illegitimate" instead of providing a proper response. The official also threatened to sue the organizers if the protests continued. The protesting workers have stated that due to economic pressures, their salaries do not cover their minimum living expenses and should be increased.
“The workers protest because their expectations are beyond the labor office’s law, and the factory currently has no delayed paychecks and job bonuses, and because of economic pressures, these workers believe that their salaries should be higher,” said Alireza Ebrahimi Head of Zarand Labor Office.
Meanwhile, it is worth noting that the regime’s own labor law makes it legally mandatory that workers be paid enough to be able to cover their basic living expenses. According to various officials and state-run media, living expenses in different parts of Iran have reached more than 100 million rials per month. But workers don’t receive more than 30 million rials, which is less than a third of what they need.
Also, according to the workers of Zarand Wagon Factory, their paychecks have been delayed for three months, and they have yet to receive New Year bonuses and performance bonuses from last year.
Protest rally by workers of Zarand Wagon Factory
On Saturday, April 10, locals in the village of Hosseinabad, near Neyshabur, northeast Iran, held a rally in front of Astan Quds Razavi Real Estate and Land Office in the city of Neyshabur protesting the acquisition of their lands by Astan Quds Razavi.
A group of workers at the Sardasht gas refinery went on strike on Saturday, April 10, to protesting low wages.
Protest by workers of Sardasht gas refinery.
