Labor rights protests erupt nationwide in Iran

Employees of Fajr Jam Gas Refinery, continuing a month-long series of protests, gathered in front of their administration building in Asaluyeh, southern Iran, to demand action on their grievances.

Contract workers at Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company, a subsidiary of National Iranian South Oil Company (NISOC), staged a protest over unfair wages, job security concerns, and livelihood issues, accusing Iran’s oil and gas sector of discriminatory practices

Drivers from Ahwaz Rolling & Pipe Mills Co. (ARPCO) in southern Iran took to the streets to protest unpaid wages and recent dismissals.

Nearly 150 welders at Tehran Refinery were fired last week with 15 representatives of oil contract workers facing dismissal for protesting unpaid wages and demanding better conditions.

In Ilam, western Iran, Ministry of Agriculture staff held a demonstration to protest low wages and livelihood challenges.

Retired educators staged protests in several cities, gathering in front of provincial governor’s offices in Shiraz (southern Iran), Kermanshah (western Iran), and Gorgan (northern Iran), demanding overdue pension benefits.

The growing wave of demonstrations reflects increasing frustration among various labor groups and retirees, whose repeated calls for justice and fair treatment have gone unheeded.

Earlier over the weekend, business owners and employees in Tehran’s historic bazaar also staged a rare strike against runaway inflation and soaring foreign currency rates, spurring protests in other commercial hubs in the capital.

Iranian workers are facing an increasingly difficult situation as the statutory wage, which once covered half of basic living expenses, now barely covers a quarter of the costs.

Iran's IRGC and warned against potential unrest last week, as Iran’s economic and energy crises intensify.