Worker Protests Expand Across Iranian Provinces

Following a nationwide strike by thousands of employees in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries across more than eight Iranian provinces, on Monday, June 28, dozens of labor organizations inside and outside the striking workers’ movement expressed their support. Meanwhile, nationwide protests are ongoing in other industries, including agriculture, livestock farming, dairy product manufacturing, and among groups of defrauded investors and retirees in various Iranian cities.

• Global Support for Nationwide Oil Industry Worker Strikes

More than 80 unions and labor organizations in various countries that are members of the “Global Syndical Network for Solidarity and Struggle” have supported workers and the organizing council for contractor oil worker strikes in Iran through the issuance of a statement.

Previously, Swedish labor unions and the General Union of Oil and Gas Sector Workers in Iraq had also expressed support for strikes by Iran’s oil industry workers.

• Professional Organizations: All Should Join the Nationwide Oil Industry Strike

Several professional and labor organizations in Iran, including the Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Workers’ Union, the United Bus Company Workers’ Union of Tehran and Its Suburbs, the Retirees’ Union Group, and the Professional Association of Teachers in Islamshahr, have issued a joint statement supporting the strike of workers in oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. In part of the statement, it is emphasized that “we call upon all workers, retirees, teachers, students, intellectuals, artists, journalists, and all hardworking and honorable men and women in society to support this rightful workers’ movement and generously assist the striking workers in achieving their demands, which are the demands of all workers.”

The organizing council for contractor oil workers’ protests also emphasized in its third statement that striking workers have implicitly been threatened that no gatherings should occur, and if gatherings do take place, the matter will transcend the level of demands and become political. The organizing council had previously announced that in addition to striking workers, formal colleagues in the Oil Ministry will also strike on June 30, and “if the workers’ demands are not met by the end of August, the scope of strikes will expand further.”

Additionally, 230 human rights, political, and civil activists from various intellectual backgrounds inside and outside Iran have issued a statement in support of the worker strikes.

In part of their supporting statement, it is stated that striking workers, from a national and citizenship perspective, “should have the right to form free and independent organizations, receive appropriate wages and other professional and welfare matters, standard working conditions for health and safety protection, and so forth.”

According to a report by the Entekhab website, Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, the Oil Minister, in response to nationwide strikes in the oil industry, stated that these protests are not related to the 1400 budget and are related to labor law.

According to this report, the Oil Minister emphasized that “according to labor law, we will pay whatever is owed to them, but their unlawful demands are another matter.”

Reza Pahlavi has expressed support for nationwide protests by oil and gas industry workers in various Iranian cities and asked these protesters to maintain their solidarity.

In a message posted on social media addressed to refinery and power plant workers who have protested in various Iranian cities in recent days by joining the nationwide campaign “Twenty Tir 1400,” he wrote: “I am closely following your inspiring solidarity and unity in this widespread civil disobedience. Maintain this unity and solidarity until you achieve your rightful demands. Know that the Iranian nation stands with you.”

Based on reports, in recent days and in continuation of nationwide strikes by employees in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries in Iran, employees of several companies, including workers at Diar Khodro Company in Golpayegan, have also stopped work in protest over unpaid wage arrears.

It is reported that workers at Saze Pad Company in Bushehr Petrochemical, engineers at Partonegar in Asaluyeh and Abadan, and employees of Gamma Company at Jask Terminal have also joined the striking workers.

Defrauded shareholders of Adhvico Company also chanted slogans against Ebrahim Raisi in protest of the judiciary’s negligence regarding widespread embezzlement.

Yesterday, livestock farmers in a symbolic act poured milk onto street pavements in protest of milk production costs being higher than the government-approved price, saying that milk prices have become cheaper than hay.

Source: Voice of America