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News from Iran: Widespread protests and strikes grip Iran’s oil and industrial sectors

Posted on by darion







Over the past few days, Iran has witnessed an increase in industrial action and protests across multiple sectors, highlighting growing worker dissatisfaction over wages, working conditions and job security. The latest developments highlight the growing pressure on the Iranian regime as it faces ongoing economic challenges and widespread unrest.

Since June 19, more than 8,000 oil sector workers have gone on strike at 65 plants in Iran, protesting against low wages, poor working conditions and lack of job security. This strike, which has intensified significantly, now includes workers at Iran’s Offshore Oil Company, the Mahshahr Oil Refinery and several other key oil and gas facilities. Striking workers demand higher wages, better working conditions and the introduction of a timetable of 14 days of work and 14 days of rest.

The Council for Organizing Protests of Oil Contract Workers (Arkan-e Sales) said the strike aims to eliminate contractors from the oil and gas sectors, secure wage increases and ensure safer working conditions. The council stressed that more than 3,000 contract workers from 25 companies had joined the strike, emphasizing the need for uniform wages and conditions similar to those of official oil industry workers.

In Rafsanjan, southern Iran, retirees of the Rafsanjan Copper Company gathered in front of the pension fund office on June 22 to protest against unpaid arrears and the authorities’ failure to meet their basic needs. Pensioners, many of whom have not received their pensions for months, expressed their frustration and demanded immediate action from the government.

At the same time, in Tabriz in northwestern Iran, landowners of the city of Khavaran 2 gathered in front of the provincial governorate, protesting against the government’s 12-year indecision regarding their land rights. The demonstrators called for a quick solution to their problems, which have been going on for over a decade.

The scope of labor protests is not limited to the oil sector. Reports show that employees from various industries are increasingly making their demands, including: telecommunications, education and municipal services. Delays in eliminating contractors and failure to convert temporary contracts to open-ended contracts have sparked a new wave of protests among project workers and permanent project workers in southern Iran, according to state news agency ILNA.

The regime’s response to these protests was mixed, with some officials acknowledging workers’ complaints, while others resorted to threats. Alireza Mirghafari, a member of the Supreme Labor Council, revealed that protesting workers received threatening text messages from contractors warning them against continuing the strike.

These changes reflect broader concerns about the regime’s ability to address workers’ demands. The government’s reluctance to implement the “HR Plan,” which aims to regulate the employment of temporary workers, has further exacerbated tensions. A powerful lobby of contractors is believed to be holding up approval of the plan by the Desirability Review Board, fearing the loss of lucrative contracts.

Worker protests in Iran have been intensifying in recent years due to delays in salary payments, low wages, layoffs and privatization. An article in Etemad newspaper on June 21 detailed that thousands of miners in coal, copper, iron ore and chrome mines in various provinces staged protests to demand their rights.

The report said that of the 12 major miners’ protests over the past 27 months, 10 were over wage increases and payment delays, with coal miners being the most affected.

Ongoing strikes and protests across Iran reflect the country’s deep-seated economic and social problems. As the regime struggles to meet these growing demands, the situation highlights the urgent need for transformative change in the country.