Strikes in Iran; Demand for vaccination added to workers' demands

While trade union and public groups continue to support the nationwide strike by corporate and contract workers in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, which has entered its fourth week, protests and strikes are ongoing in other sectors, including the transportation industry, livestock farming, and agriculture.

The Telegram channel of the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Workers' Union reported that on Wednesday, the workers added the demand for the country's workers to their demands and announced that they would continue the strike until their demands were met.

Also, according to HRANA, affected livestock farmers held protest rallies in at least Shahrekord, Neyshabur, and Torbat Heydariyeh. These protests were held against the high cost of fodder and the low prices of milk and meat.

Videos posted on social media show that in Khuzestan, farmers are also chanting slogans and throwing sticks and stones at police vehicles in protest against the closure of water to farmland.

Meanwhile, the human rights website HRANA has written about the gathering of tanker drivers and truckers transporting fuel at the Parviz Khan Customs in Qasr-e Shirin, adding that "low fares" have been cited as one of the reasons for the truckers' protest.

• The nationwide strike in the oil industry continues.

For about four weeks now, thousands of contract workers in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, as well as power plants, have been on a widespread strike and have left their workplaces and returned to their cities after their union demands, including wage increases and a change in the ratio of twenty to ten working and non-working days, were ignored and not met.

In its seventh statement, the Protest Organizing Council, referring to four urgent demands – including a doubling of wages, the realization of twenty days of work and ten days of vacation, improving health and safety conditions in the workplace, as well as the written and formalization of agreements – wrote: “Just as we have been able to strike in solidarity with tens of thousands of people, we can achieve our demands. We have read your hand. We consider these double wages that you have proposed as the achievement of our strike and use it as a basis, and we will not settle for anything less.”

In recent days, there has been widespread support for the oil workers' strike inside and outside Iran, and in the most recent event, the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company Union issued a statement in support of the continuation of the workers' strike, writing: "It is regrettable that the working conditions, health and safety of your workplace and dormitories are reminiscent of forced labor camps, and despite the sweltering heat and extremely difficult work, you are deprived of the minimum welfare and work safety facilities."

A number of striking oil project workers living in Foladshahr also joined the ranks of the striking workers by posting a video on social media.

Source: Voice of America