Strike of Drivers and Truck Owners Continues on Sixth Day
The strike of drivers and truck owners in Iran continued for the sixth consecutive day.
The strikers rejected the government’s decision to increase freight rates by twenty percent and announced they would continue the strike until the government responds to all their demands.
Ali Javanmardi, a reporter for the Farsi section of Voice of America, reported that on the sixth day, drivers at the border gates of Mehran, Bashmaق, and the cities of Khorramshahr and Abadan also joined the strike.
The strikers are protesting high commission fees charged by shipping companies, expensive vehicle parts and road tolls, the lack of cargo announcement halls and queue management systems, and the cutting of subsidies for drivers’ insurance premiums.
Some drivers also stated in recent days while in contact with the Farsi section of Voice of America that high truck insurance premiums and high commission fees are the main reasons for the strikes.
Meanwhile, Prince Reza Pahlavi posted a message on his Twitter account on Sunday, considering nationwide strikes and civil activities as one of the effective ways to fight the Islamic Republic.
Truck owners and drivers in several provinces, including Razavi Khorasan, Hormozgan, Fars, Lorestan, Kerman, Isfahan, and Qazvin, refrained from transporting cargo starting Tuesday, the first day of Khordad month, and demanded resolution of their problems.
The widespread strike caused fuel shortages in cities such as Shiraz and Isfahan, but at the same time reports showed that authorities were attempting to supply fuel to these cities by escorting some trucks.
Strikes by workers and various trades in Iran have increased in recent months.
Late in Farvardin month this year, bazaar merchants and economic activists in the border markets of western Iran also went on strike in protest of new restrictions on importing goods into border markets and the closure of some border crossings.
Source: Voice of America
