Two Workers Hang Themselves At Iranian Petchem Plant

Amid dire economic conditions, especially for wage-earners, two Iranian workers hanged themselves at the site of the petrochemical plant that had fired them.

Javad Norouzi and Mostafa Abbasi, two workers from the Ilam petrochemical complex in the province’s Chavar (Chovar) district, attempted suicide in protest against their job terminations. They survived thanks to prompt intervention by their coworkers and were taken to the hospital, but their condition is critical.

Workers in petroleum and petrochemical companies in Iran are particularly vulnerable due to their challenging working conditions and low wages. However, suicide by workers in other industries, as well as teachers, has become a prevalent phenomenon in Iran.

Reports indicate that employees at Chavar have to endure harsh working conditions and receive very low wages. This, combined with the worsening economic situation in Iran, has contributed to unbearable livelihood problems, leading over a dozen other workers to end their lives in the past few years.

A notable issue is the absence of an independent trade union organization for the over 1,000 workers at Chavar Petrochemical Company, most of whom are contracted employees. This lack of job security, insurance, and benefits exacerbates their challenges.

The workers of the company have held several rounds of protests, but their appeals to the labor ministry and governorship have not yielded positive outcomes.

Food prices have risen by more than 80 to 100 percent in recent months, on top of high inflation in the past few years, while most wage earners get less than $200 a month.