Families of Detained Ahvaz Steel Workers Hold Protest Rally

Families of detained workers from Iran’s National Steel Group in Ahvaz held a protest rally demanding their release. Iranian authorities announced the release of 20 workers and promised to free 10 more by the end of the week.

A group of families of detained workers from Iran’s National Steel Group held a protest rally early Monday morning, December 3 (December 24) in front of the Khuzestan Provincial Governor’s Office in Ahvaz.

The protesters demanded the immediate release of all detained Ahvaz Steel workers arrested in recent days and the “accountability of provincial governor authorities and the security council” in this regard.

Participants in the protest, which included children of workers, carried placards with slogans such as “Imprisoned worker, free thief,” “Resistance economy, imprisoned worker,” “Imprisoned workers must be freed,” and “Workers have professional demands.”

The detained workers’ children also carried slogans including “Father, I’m waiting for you” and “Free my father.”

According to ILNA news agency, “Protesters say that while all officials, from parliament representatives to labor ministry officials, promised that all detained workers would be released by Sunday, some workers remain in detention.”

Simultaneously, workers from Iran’s National Steel Group released a statement expressing support for all workers and the families and children of detained workers, accusing local officials and judicial authorities of “breaking promises” and attempting to “deceive public opinion.”

According to labor union reports, more than 40 workers from the National Steel Group Ahvaz were arrested by Iranian security forces in recent days, with some released on bail. Most of these arrests took place at night.

Promise to free 10 more workers by end of week

Meanwhile, Karim Yavari, special representative of Iran’s labor minister for “monitoring problematic production units,” told state news agency IRNA that 20 detained Ahvaz Steel workers have been released so far.

He also promised that 10 more detained workers who were arrested for professional protests will be released by the end of the week.

Karim Yavari emphasized: “According to the minister’s orders, workers’ professional protests should not become a security matter.”

Farzaneh Zielai, lawyer representing several workers from the National Steel Group Ahvaz, previously stated that some detained workers face charges of “propaganda activity against the system and measures against national security,” and said: “It has been decided that some detained workers will be released by converting their arrest warrant to bail.”

Ms. Zielai also noted, referring to a case file opened in the twentieth branch of the Ahvaz Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor’s Office for detained workers: “Some workers are supposed to be released by converting their arrest warrant to bail, but unfortunately, contrary to law, they broadly announced they will not accept National Steel Group workers’ pay slips as bail. Written requests from about 20 workers requesting help from the deputy prosecutor have also yielded no results.”

“Why don’t workers have a share in national media?”

Maziar Gilaninezhad, a professional activist for metalworker and mechanic workers, told ILNA today, noting that Iranian workers are dissatisfied with Islamic Republic Radio and Television’s coverage of labor news, saying: “In recent days, IRIB correspondents in France send moment-by-moment reports of French workers’ protests and demonstrations, providing detailed coverage of various aspects of these protests from police treatment to protesters’ reactions.”

This labor activist also added: “What’s interesting is that for more than a month, workers from the National Steel Group and Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company took to the streets and protested, and their voice of protest echoed across Iran to the point that all sections and classes expressed solidarity with these workers, but in national media, except for a few limited and delayed reports, no other labor protest coverage reaches the public; why? Our question to IRIB officials is: why don’t workers have a share in the national media whose taxes they pay?!”

Gilaninezhad, raising the question “Are French yellow vests more newsworthy than Haft Tappeh and Ahvaz Steel?”, considered the Islamic Republic Radio and Television’s “disregard” for workers’ demands as “unprecedented” and said: “Last year at this time, we delivered a petition signed by 1,000 Asaluyeh workers to IRIB and asked Network 2, particularly the 20:30 news, to visit Asaluyeh and cover workers’ problems closely, which unfortunately, until this moment, this collective workers’ request has not been answered.”

This labor activist also emphasized: “Unfortunately, people’s taxes at IRIB are not in service of the underprivileged, and this media has become a showcase for capitalist trade and advertising.”

Mohammad Taqi Fadel Meybodi, member of the assembly of Qom Seminary teachers, also said yesterday that Islamic Republic Radio and Television is one of the factors causing people to lose trust in the government and said: “If an incident occurs in the country, IRIB does not cover those incidents, like the sugar cane workers’ or Ahvaz Steel protests, but Persian-language media outlets directed from outside the country cover these incidents. This is why people tend toward those media outlets.”

“Problems should not take on a security dimension”

Karim Yavari, director general of employment support and unemployment insurance, said yesterday regarding the protest movements of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane and National Steel Group Ahvaz workers to Tasnim news agency: “The gatherings that took place in recent weeks by these dear people were solely for professional reasons and for legal wages and salaries. The Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare firmly believes that professional problems should not take on a security or political dimension, and all national and provincial officials believe this. The subject of workers’ protests has been purely technical, and necessary and effective attention should be paid to workers’ rights and benefits and their families’ livelihoods.”

This Iranian labor ministry official added: “Hostile foreign newspapers and media, whenever they want to exploit workers’ gatherings, aim their arrows at the steel of national steel groups in the country, string their bows and blind their eyes. According to the emphasis of the minister of cooperatives, labor and social welfare, the release of all detained steel workers is under serious pursuit, and some have been released so far, and the matter will continue to be pursued until all workers are released.”

Karim Yavari had emphasized that “the National Bank should understand the conditions and without delay and without administrative and banking bureaucracy provide the raw materials needed by the National Steel Group for continuous production, and there is no acceptable shortcoming in this work.”

In 1389 (2010), the ownership of the majority of Iran’s National Steel Group was transferred to Amir Mansour Aria (Mehrafarin Khosravi), who was later executed on charges of embezzling three thousand billion. During his trial, Mr. Khosravi said, among other things: “I didn’t buy the National Steel Group with corruption, by God they forced me to buy it.” After Mehrafarin Khosravi’s execution, ultimately 60 percent of Ahvaz Steel’s shares were transferred to Bank Melli Iran.

Payment of at least four months of delayed wages, tackling hidden obstacles to prevent production in this industrial group, and removing Bank Melli’s control are among the demands of Ahvaz Steel workers with over 3,000 personnel. These workers are also protesting the shutdown of production lines due to lack of raw materials.

In recent weeks and months, Iran has witnessed widespread public protests over economic and livelihood conditions. Truck drivers’ strikes, gatherings and protest demonstrations by Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Company and National Steel Group Ahvaz workers, presenting demands of Tehran United Bus Company workers, as well as public solidarity and student support for Haft Tappeh and Ahvaz Steel workers, were among these protests.

Among detained Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane workers, Ali Nejati, a member of the board of directors of the company’s workers’ union, remains imprisoned. Also, reports on social networks about the arrest of Asal Mohammadi, a student activist, on December 4 for “following up on and publishing news of Haft Tappeh and Steel workers’ strikes” and her transfer to Shush prison have been circulated.

Source: DW