Reporting by PMOI/MEK
Iran, December 31, 2020—As Iranian officials and media continue to warn about the possibility of another round of nationwide uprisings, labor protests continue across Iran. In Khuzestan province, several cities are witnessing protests by workers who haven’t received their paychecks for months and whose rights are being trampled by regime authorities.
On Wednesday, December 30, workers of Abfar, the Rural Water and Sewerage Department in the city of Andika in Khuzestan province, gathered in front of the organization’s office, protesting officials’ refusal to pay three years of insurance premium, one year of salaries, and five years’ worth of job bonuses.
Strike by Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company workers
On the same day, mechanical equipment workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company went on strike. The strike is in protest to the company’s officials refusing to pay the salary of four workers who are in prison due to their activities for workers’ rights in recent months. Located in Shush, Khuzestan province, Haft Tappeh is the largest producer of sugar cane in Iran.
Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers are constantly faced with pay cuts, delayed wages, complaints, relocation and attempts to fire labor activists.
Protest rally by municipality workers of Abadan
On Tuesday, December 29, municipal workers in the city of Abadan, southwest Iran, held a protest rally in front of the municipality building, protesting several months of delayed paychecks.
According to the protesting workers, in the last four months, their wages and insurance premiums have not been paid in full.
“Our paychecks and insurance premiums have not been paid for several years, and now, apart from wages, our insurance has not been fully paid into the Social Security Fund,” said the protesting workers.
According to the workers, they have followed up on their demands many times during these four months, but none of the officials has responded to them. The protesters say officials are not sincere in their promises and give their word without keeping it.
One of the workers, who broke his leg while working about two months ago, said, “Despite the accident at work, Abadan Municipality has not taken any measure to pay for the treatment and the hospital.”
On Monday, a group of workers in the free and special zones of Khuzestan’s Mahshahr port held a rally, protesting their delayed paychecks and problems in classifying difficult jobs in this region.
According to one of the protesting workers, despite having held several meetings in the labor commission of Mahshahr port and approving several resolutions, there has practically been no help in solving the workers' problems.
"Although these two areas are very strategic for the country's industry and trade, the workers in these two ports and the workers in free zones in general are in a difficult situation," one of the workers said, referring to the economic capacities of Mahshahr port and Khomeini port in Khuzestan province.
