In the continuation of the livelihood protests in Iran, hundreds of construction workers and foremen gathered in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly on Tuesday, February 25. A group of petrochemical workers also went on strike and gathered in Assaluyeh, and a number of dialysis patients in Tehran province also staged a sit-in for the right to treatment.
The protest rally of construction workers and foremen was held at the invitation of the Center for Workers and Foremen Associations, and the protesters demanded the realization of insurance premiums, retirement rights, the benefits of the Harsh and Harmful Occupations Law, and compensation for sick days.
The issue of amending "Article 5," which the workers have been demanding, was raised in the parliament in December 2020, but it is still unresolved and an exact time for its consideration has not been determined.
According to previous reports, 600,000 construction workers in Iran do not have social security insurance.
According to the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, several members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly were present among the protesting workers. Ali Babaei Karnami, a member of the Assembly's Social Commission, stated that the issue of construction workers' insurance and amending Article 5 are among the priorities of the Assembly, saying: "We will do our best to resolve the issue of construction workers by the end of this year, but if this does not happen, this issue will be a priority for the Assembly next year."
Akbar Shawkat, head of the Qom Provincial Trade Union Associations, as one of the representatives of the protesting workers, called for an investigation into the issue of work accidents, stating that "60 percent" of deaths from work accidents involve construction workers, and said: "Unsafe scaffolding has caused workers to fall to the ground like fallen leaves, resulting in the deaths of about 700 to 1,000 construction workers annually."
Stating that "construction workers do not retire even at the age of 60," he said, "Until we ourselves take action and demand an end to this situation, this will continue to be the case."
According to video reports published on social media, the livelihood and union protests on February 25 were not limited to construction workers and in front of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, but were also taking place in other locations.
For example, on Tuesday, a number of dialysis patients from Islamshahr, Baharestan, and Robatkarim held a rally and sit-in in front of the Kidney Patients Support Association, demanding that their treatment be addressed.
Workers at the Morvarid Petrochemical Plant in Assaluyeh also went on strike and gathered to protest the non-payment of arrears of wages.
