Iranian Truckers Plan Nationwide Strike Amid Protests

Iranian truckers have announced plans to hold a nationwide strike as anti-government protests continue and Tehran’s bus drivers have been on strike all week.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Union of Truckers and Drivers' Organization said that holding strikes and protests for the realization of their demands are their inalienable right. The date of the strike is to be announced soon.

Their demands include better transport fares based on the weight of the cargo per kilometer, higher pays and job security, lower prices for spare parts, lower fuel prices through subsidies, removing customs tariffs and road tolls, as well as welfare and health facilities at terminals.

The statement referred to the previous nationwide strike by the truck drivers that took place in over 160 cities four years ago, saying that their demands have not been met since then and their lives have become harder.

“For the past four years, we have been struggling with a lot of pain and suffering every day and every moment... Today, the country's road transport fleet is on the verge of destruction”, they said.

"The experience of that great strike tells us that we can unite again and shout our demands”, the statement read.

The 2018 strike finished following unfulfilled promises by the government, threats of serious repercussions and hundreds of arrests.

Authorities scrapped a food import subsidy in early May, which triggered a sudden jump in prices and led to protests that have taken on an anti-regime tone.