Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, June 22, 2021—Workers of Iran’s oil sector have started a protest movement that continues to spread to more regions across the country. On Tuesday, the workers of Asaluyeh’s Sadaf Petrochemical Company, Tehran’s Jahan Pars and Overhaul, South Pars Phase 14, and Tehran Refinery were on strike. These workers are demanding a raise in their wages, reduction of work hours, and payment of pending paychecks. The workers left their working facilities in protest to the government not responding to their demands and went home.
Located on the shores of the Persian Gulf, South Pars is the world’s largest gas field and one of the main sources of energy in Iran. The continuation of the strike can trigger many crises across the country.
The strike began on Saturday, June 19 by the contract workers of the Bid Khun powerplant, Bushehr province, and the contract welding workers of Bushehr Petrochemical Company. On Friday, the workers of the oil terminal in Khark Island and Sina Refinery in Qeshm Island.
On Monday, the workers of Exir Industry, Satrap Contractor company, and 400 workers of Phase 14 in Assaluyeh joined the strike.
While for the moment, the movement is led by contract workers, the official workers of the oil and gas sector have also threatened to join the strikes if the protesters’ demands aren’t met.
In addition to increase of their payments, the workers are demanding better work conditions, the eviction of government-backed contractors that are getting huge cuts from the workers paychecks, and a ban on the arbitrary dismissal of workers. The workers are also faced with safety, hygiene, and environmental problems, which they are demanding to be resolved.
Oil workers have been constantly protesting over their low salaries and poor working conditions. They have organized a large rally in front of the oil ministry’s offices in Tehran on June 30.
