Gatherings of Social Security Retirees in Several Iranian Cities; Complaints About High Prices and Officials’ Negligence
A number of social security retirees, similar to previous weeks, held gatherings in several major cities across Iran to protest the implementation process of salary equalization, poor living conditions, and inflation in pursuit of their demands.
Based on videos published on social media, a number of social security retirees in recent days gathered in cities such as Tehran, Isfahan, Shush, Khorramabad, and Kerman in front of administrative buildings in their cities, including the Social Security office, and chanted slogans against the negligence of officials.
These retirees, protesting poor living conditions and inflation prevailing in Iran, while holding placards and chanting slogans including “Your holiday is grand, our table is empty” and “Yesterday’s warriors, today’s oppressed,” demanded attention to their demands, fulfillment of officials’ promises, and precise implementation of their salary equalization.
According to Article 111 of the Social Security Law, the minimum pension of retired workers should not be less than the minimum wage set for employed workers, a law that according to these retirees has not been implemented to this day.
Retirees in Shush say that we were fortunate citizens and the officials made us unfortunate.
A group of retirees in Khorramabad also gathered in front of the provincial Social Security office in Lorestan province while holding placards.
Social security retirees in Isfahan also described the government’s main action as plundering the people’s money.
In Kerman as well, a number of social security retirees demanded attention to their demands.
Throughout recent years and months, retirees across Iran have held widespread gatherings criticizing the government’s performance and parliament representatives, and have demanded attention to their demands such as salary equalization and precise implementation of the civil service management law.
The poor economic situation has worsened in recent months at a time when new dimensions of widespread financial corruption by individuals and institutions affiliated with the Islamic Republic government are being revealed daily. Files of economic corruption of individuals close to the government and unlimited financial support by the Iranian government to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas are among these instances of corruption.
The United States says the Islamic Republic is spending its country’s wealth on supporting terrorist groups and destabilizing the Middle East instead of its people. The United States has also repeatedly condemned institutional financial corruption and plundering of Iran’s natural resources by those affiliated with the ruling government in this country, and has considered them among the main factors in Iran’s economic and financial problems.
