Nurses across Iran protest over working conditions, low wages

In a wave of protests across cities like Arak, Mashhad, and Yasuj, Iranian nurses have taken to the streets, demanding better working conditions, fair pay, and respect for their profession.

The demonstrations, which began on August 5, have escalated into strikes, with nurses chanting slogans like "We've heard many promises, but seen no answers" and "We're the symbol of patience, but our patience has run out." The message is clear: the nurses' patience with the Iranian government’s neglect has reached its limit.

The protests follow the death of Parvaneh Mandani, a 32-year-old nurse at a hospital in Fars Province. Mandani’s death on August 2, attributed to overwork or Karoshi Syndrome, has become a rallying point for healthcare workers across the country.

Mohammad Reza Sharifi-Moghaddam, Secretary-General of the Nursing House, described her death as "suspicious," adding that "another nurse in Kermanshah, west of Iran, also took her own life by ingesting aluminum phosphide tablets."

The nurses’ demands are straightforward: "an immediate increase in wages, elimination of mandatory overtime, proper and immediate implementation of nursing tariffs, payment of arrears, improvement of harsh working conditions, and an end to security crackdowns on protesting nurses." These are not just demands for better pay, but for recognition of the critical role nurses play in Iran’s healthcare system.

However, the Iranian government has a huge budget deficit, estimated to be more than 50% and can ill afford giving in to the nurses' demands. Other sectors have similar grievances with most workers surviving with around $200 per month.

Sahar Motallebi, a physician and researcher in international population health, highlighted the financial struggles facing Iranian nurses. "Nurses earn between $200 to $250 per month, which is well below the poverty line," she explained. Motallebi pointed out that the problem stems from the health ministry’s decision to delegate nurse payments to the facilities where they work, leaving them at the mercy of underfunded hospitals and clinics. "These facilities, funded by their own income, often pay the nurses less than what is expected," Motallebi added.

The situation has become so dire that Fereydoun Moradi, a member of the Supreme Council of the Nursing System, revealed that "150 to 200 nurses migrate monthly" in search of better opportunities abroad. The combination of low pay, unpaid wages, and frequent physical assaults from patients' families has left many nurses feeling abandoned by the government. In Yasuj, for example, a nurse lost an eye after being attacked by a patient's family, and reports of stab wounds and fractures among nurses are becoming alarmingly common.

Despite promises from the University of Medical Sciences to pay overdue claims, the strikes continue. Videos from the protests show nurses chanting "Inflation in dollars, our salaries in rials," a reminder of the economic pressures they face. In Arak, nurses at Vali-Asr Hospital declared, "We are tired of promises" and "If we don't get our rights, we won't go to our shifts," only to be met with threats from the hospital’s security office.

As the protests gain momentum, support is growing from other sectors. The Progressive Student Association has called on all members of society, particularly medical students, to join the nurses' movement. The Teachers' Association of Fars Province has also issued a statement supporting the nurses' strike, emphasizing the legality and necessity of their protest.