Petrochemical contracting workers go on strike in Bushehr province

On the eve of International Workers' Day, petrochemical contract workers in Bushehr province at three petrochemical complexes: Bushehr, Phase 19 of Assaluyeh, and Kian Petrochemical, stopped work in protest of the violation of union and livelihood rights.

According to reports on social media, this massive strike in Phase 19 of Asaluyeh occurred on Monday, May 25, in protest of the small increase in salaries of these workers by the government.

Chanting the slogan "20-10," the protesting workers are demanding the establishment of 20-10 work shifts, meaning 20 days of work in exchange for 10 days off.

Most contract workers work away from home, and the 10-20 shift gives them the opportunity to visit family.

On Sunday, the Free Union of Iranian Workers reported that a group of workers at the Kian Petrochemical Plant in Asaluyeh had gone on strike.

According to the report, oil project workers had announced that if their demands were not met by May 4th, they would "launch a widespread strike starting on the fifth day."

Previously, in February last year, Tehran's loud petrochemical workers had gone on strike in the complex's compound.

Before that, the nationwide strike of Iranian oil industry workers, which began on June 19, 1402, lasted for weeks, during which about 105,000 contract and corporate workers from the Ministry of Oil created a virtual campaign calling for the "complete elimination of contractors and intermediary companies."

During that period of worker strikes, many oil center projects were halted at more than 96 refineries, petrochemical centers, and power plants in 19 cities in Iran.

Source: Voice of America