On Sunday, November 5, retirees of the Social Security Organization in the cities of Shush, Ahvaz, Dezful, and Kermanshah protested against poor living conditions and the lack of attention to their demands, including the need for higher pensions due to the rising costs of living. At the same time, retirees of the steel industry in the cities of Shahrud, Ghaemshahr, and Isfahan held protest rallies for similar reasons.
November 5—Shush, southwest #Iran
Retirees of the Social Security Organization from Shush and Haft Tappeh protest for higher pensions and other basic needs.#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/Z0dmdYKKAd— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 5, 2023
The pensioners were chanting slogans including, “We will not live under oppression,” “Pensioners will die but will not give in to disgrace,” and “We only get our rights on the street!”
Retirees were chanting, “We will not rest until we have our rights,” “Shout for your rights” and “The bankrupt government is the enemy of pensioners,” expressing their frustration and anger at the destructive policies of the government of Ebrahim Raisi.
November 5—Kermanshah, western #Iran
Retirees of the Social Security Organization protest for higher pensions and other basic needs.
"High prices and inflation have destroyed the people's livelihoods," protesters chant#IranProtestspic.twitter.com/aVT4CvFFNW— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 5, 2023
In Ahvaz, a large number of pensioners gathered in front of the offices of the Social Security Authority of this city and chanted “We will not live under oppression, we sacrifice our lives in the path of freedom, death to slavery.”
The disadvantaged pensioners demand their looted salaries after a life of work and effort. But the regime has been stealing for years from pension funds for its own outrageous ends. Pension funds are experiencing a “huge crisis” due to the looting and corruption of the regime.
November 5—Dezful, southwest #Iran
Retirees of the Social Security Organization hold rally in front of the offices of the Social Security Organization protest for higher pensions and other basic needs.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/hbwLtFWIjA— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 5, 2023
In this regard, the state-run newspaper Hammihan wrote on October 7, “Iranian society faces a number of huge challenges that increase its dimensions and limit its financial solvency over time. There are challenges such as the state of the banking system, the water system and natural resources, and the environment, unemployment, and budgetary imbalance, the most important of which are pension funds.”
The pension fund crisis is rooted in the theft of people’s money and the systematic corruption of the government and entities of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
“The crisis of social security funds is organized. It is a crisis that has systematically stolen or destroyed what was in the funds,” said Saeed Lailaz, an analyst with close ties to the regime.
November 5—Ghaemshahr, northern #Iran
Retirees of the steel industry hold protest rally, demanding higher pensions and other basic rights.#IranProtests pic.twitter.com/GGfz0S7elW— People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) (@Mojahedineng) November 5, 2023
On 8 May 2023, the state-run newspaper Etemad, referring to the volume of trade of state-backed looters with people’s funds, wrote: “The government has a total debt of 5,010 trillion rials (approx. $10 billion) to pension funds. Even if all oil revenues return to the country, it is not possible to pay the principal and dues of these debts easily.”
The noble pensioners who have lived a dignified life today clearly see the fruits of their life-long efforts being looted by corrupt government officials, and today their lives have reached the line of misery. And their conditions grow worse due to rising inflation, high costs of living, health care problems, and other social challenges that have become intertwined.
It is the reason that today’s retirees, who must live a quiet and carefree life after 30 years of hard work, stand boldly up to the regime and will not accept living in modern slavery under the corrupt rule of the mullahs.
