Retirees Hold Protests In Several Iranian Cities Amid High Inflation

Iranian retirees held demonstrations in the capital Tehran and several other cities to protest their low pensions that have left them at the verge of poverty.

In the Tuesday rallies, the pensioners in Tehran gathered in outside the parliament while people in other cities held their protests at the provincial offices of the Civil Servants Pension Organization.

“Stand up and fight discrimination”, read some of the banners they carried during the rallies, while they were also chanting slogans against “incompetent authorities”, asking for their resignation.

The protesters demand higher pensions on par with the country’s inflation rate and rising costs of living. The annual inflation rate has hovered around 45 percent in recent months.

They called on the country’s authorities to accelerate efforts and approve laws that can potentially improve their pensions.

A bill to address the pensioners’ demands has been languishing in the parliament for months.

Iran, which is hit hard by economic sanctions, is the scene of frequent labor protests and strikes.

Hundreds of striking and protesting workers and labor activists have been arrested since 2017, many spending months in prison. Some are still detained without trial.