Oil, Steel Industry Workers Join Strikes In Iran

Reports say employees of Iran’s Oil Ministry in tens of oil rigs in the south have gone on strike to show anger at government mismanagement and unfair wages.

Civil rights activist, Atena Daemi, said in a tweet on Tuesday that in the first step the workers of at least 37 rigs in a symbolic action refused to receive food at canteens.

In their notes put on plates, they warned the regime officials that “the hard winter is coming” probably implying the government would be in trouble during winter to provide natural gas and diesel while they stop working.

Meanwhile, videos published on social media show the workers at Esfahan Steel Company, which is Iran's third largest steel producer, have joined the nationwide strikes.

Hundreds of striking employees have been arrested in the past few weeks while many are threatened with being fired or replaced by other workers if they do not break their strikes.

In the meantime, many Iranians on social media have warned merchants at grand bazaars to join the strikes to cripple the government which has been violently cracking down on protesters seeking social and political liberties for over 50 days now.

People say if the guilds and merchants do not go on strike, they will boycott their goods and products.

People were observing a “general strike” in Mahsa Amini’s hometown of Saqqez, and some other cities mainly in the Kurdish regions where retailers have closed their shops several times in protest to government brutality.