Iranian Steel Workers Stage Protest Against Unjust Practices

Pursuing their demands for better work condition, employees of Iran's National Steel Industrial Group rallied and initiated a strike on Saturday in Ahvaz.

The protest stems from dissatisfaction with the recent termination of positions for 21 workers and the failure to implement job classification plans.

Following the strike, workers vacated the company premises and gathered along the Ahvaz-Khorramshahr road. The protest represents the latest in a series of actions by the Iran National Steel Industrial Group employees. Over the past months, they have intermittently halted work to voice their concerns.

Video is blurred to protect workers' identities

The most recent demonstration occurred on December 20, as workers voiced their opposition to low wages, the non-implementation of job classifications, and management's disregard for their demands. Slogans such as "A worker dies but does not accept humiliation" echoed through the protest.

In a November protest , workers abstained from work for three consecutive days, emphasizing their demands for wage parity and the reinstatement of expelled colleagues.

On September 27, the Islamic Republic's judiciary sentenced 17 protesting workers from the group to imprisonment and fines. They were accused of "disrupting public order through creating disturbance and commotion" during the Iranian people's uprising following the death of Mahsa Amini in custody in 2022.

The Iran National Steel Industrial Group, previously overseen by the Amir Mansour Aria Investment Company, underwent private ownership after legal proceedings and the execution of Aria for embezzlement.

Recent months have witnessed workers from various industries, members of different guilds, and retirees organizing numerous protests to address economic conditions. Several of the gatherings have been met with crackdown by security forces, coupled with legal obstacles for protesters.