Contract Workers In Iran’s Natural Gas Industry Extend Protests

Contract workers from the South Pars Gas Complex on Iran's Persian Gulf coast continued their protests on Saturday for the third consecutive week.

Amid an information blackout by state media, a Telegram channel following labor news and regularly reporting on the demonstrations, announced that the latest protests encompassed nine refineries of the South Pars.

The protesting workers have made it clear that they intend to persist with their gatherings during specified hours and days until their demands are addressed by the authorities.

According to the Telegram channel, the primary demands of the refinery workers include the removal of intermediary contracting companies, the complete implementation of the job classification plan, and the utilization of benefit cards.

Simultaneously, reports have surfaced regarding protests by contract workers in the oil industry in Ahvaz. The Civil civil protest Telegram channel disclosed that the main demands of the protesters revolve around the full implementation of the legal resolution issued by the Administrative and Employment Council of the Oil Industry in 2021 regarding improvement of work conditions. Other demands include amending the calculation formula for the productivity bonus to align with that of fixed-term employees and revising the overtime calculation formula based on the Labor Law.

The protests are indicative of the escalating frequency of workers' demonstrations in Iran in recent years, signaling a growing discontent within the labor force. The challenges faced by contract workers in both the South Pars Gas Complex and the oil industry in Ahvaz underscore the urgency for authorities to address the concerns of the workforce.

In recent years, Iran's oil and gas sector have replaced thousands of regular employees with contract workers, who have to endure hard conditions with low pay.