Strikes on the increase as factories close down

Shahrzadnews - Workers at four major Iranian factories went on strike this week, protesting against poor wages and a lack of proper contracts.

On Monday a third of the 300-strong workforce at Kurdistan’s cooperative textile factory downed tools and gathered outside the local government housing department. They were protesting at the provincial governor’s refusal to allow the cooperative to build more subsidised accommodation for them and their families, in spite of the fact that land for the project had been bought 11 years ago. The ILNA news agency reported how 700 workers from the Sepahan cement factory had picketed the plant, calling for better wages and working conditions. The factory employs 1100 workers, most of whom are on temporary contracts. Meanwhile large numbers of temporary workers at the Barak textile company in the northern city of Rasht turned their machines off for several hours last week, protesting that they had not been paid for several months. In a letter to the factory’s director they said the action would be repeated if their demands were not addressed immediately.

Last week over a hundred Shiraz Telecom workers also went on strike, protesting against redundancies, poor working conditions and unjust new temporary employment contracts. The ILNA news agency reported that the subcontracting company responsible for manning the firm’s emergency and directory enquiry desks are refusing to sign a new contract – which links pay to the number of calls staff handle – until strikers have returned to work.