Strikes Continue in Iran; Jahan Pars Workers Block Road
As the strike by contract workers in Iran’s oil and gas industry enters its fourth week, contract workers from Jahan Pars Company in Mehran, Ilam Province, blocked the oil company road on Thursday, July 24.
Videos published on Twitter show that “local forces from Mehran city” are among the strikers.
In recent days, there have been widespread shows of support for the oil strikes both inside and outside Iran.
Maryam Vahidian, who identifies herself as a labor correspondent for ILNA news agency, announced on Twitter “the declaration of solidarity by project workers of Masjed Soleiman oil with their colleagues in Iran’s industrial cities.”
Strikes have been reported in at least 12 provinces.
The scope of protests and strikes by unions and the public across different sectors of Iran is not limited to strikes by workers in oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, and other segments of society have held protest gatherings in various cities in opposition to wage and salary arrears, price increases, continued unscheduled power cuts, and the water crisis.
Hassan Rouhani, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, stated on Wednesday, July 9, that the reason for the strikes by oil and gas industry workers was the existence of “problems in this year’s budget law” and promised that he would not allow oil and gas industry employees to face “problems and restrictions in the wages and salaries they receive.”
However, two weeks after this promise, the government has still not taken any specific action to address the strikers’ union demands.
Source: Voice of America
