Protesting Retirees Gather in Front of Iran’s Parliament Over Living Conditions
A group of pensioners protesting their living conditions and the low level of their pensions gathered in front of Iran’s Islamic Consultative Assembly (Parliament) today, continuing their protest demonstrations.
During the gathering, protesters chanted slogans such as “Qalibaf, show some shame, abandon Parliament” and “Implementing salary equalization is our rightful demand,” calling for the implementation of their salary equalization plan.
Retired pensioners also held gatherings in cities including Sari, Qazvin, Lordegan, Shiraz, Isfahan, Hamadan, Ardabil, Sanandaj, Shahrekord, and others in front of pension fund offices in those cities, with protesters voicing slogans such as “One less embezzlement, our salary gets saved” and “Our hands are empty, your situation is great” to protest the current conditions.
The main demand of the pensioners, who had also gathered in various cities two days earlier, is to receive pensions commensurate with the average living expenses of a four-member urban household and pension reform. They are also protesting against rising inflation and government corruption in Iran.
During protest gatherings in Ordibehesht of this year, it was announced that pensions should be set at 12 million and 500 thousand tomans as the base salary and living basket, but given the current inflation rate in Iran, this figure has likely increased.
The response of Iran’s government officials to these gatherings has typically consisted of attempts to prevent protests, suppression, and in some cases, detention of protesters.
According to a report by the “Association of Human Rights Activists in Iran,” more than 2,500 gatherings accompanied by protests and strikes were held by civil activists, cultural figures, workers, and prisoners in Iran in 2021, with 64 workers being detained during labor-related gatherings.
According to this report, the main focus of these protests has been “wage demands of various trades, protests against poor economic conditions, and protests against ineffective management of government institutions.”
The escalation of nationwide protests by teachers and retirees is occurring while the Islamic Republic of Iran faces many economic problems, including those caused by economic sanctions resulting from nuclear activities.
According to Iran’s Statistical Center, the annual inflation rate in Aban was 44.4 percent, and based on official statistics from the Ministry of Labor, the average price of over 83 percent of food items in Iran has exceeded the crisis threshold.
Source: Radio Farda
