Labor Protest over the Minimimu Wage by Ministry of Labor Confronted by the Secuity Police

Iran Labor Report

A labor protest organized by the coordinators of the 40 thousand labor petition at the gates of the Ministry of Labor was confronted with security police on November 26. A report by the Free Union of Iranian Workers described the events.

Workers and retirees from Vahed Bus Workers Company, Alborz Tires, Metal Works Industries, Iran Khodro, Petrochemicals, Construction and Hospital workers as well as workers from Kurdish city of Sanandaj and some other Tehran factories were present at the gathering. More than 300 workers had declared their readiness to participate for the protest.

While the workers were joining the gathering, the security police attempted to prevent entry of the first group of the workers on the Ministry compounds. With workers persistence, they were able to show their banners and protest signs inside the compounds of the Ministry. This lead to immediate reaction by the security forces taking the signs from the workers and taking away three of the organizers, Hassan Saeedi, Jafar Azimzadeh and Vahid Fereidouni. Ministry security forces then attempted to calm down the situation and coordinate a meeting with the Ministry personnel. The workers delegated Jafar Azimzadeh, Vahid Fereidouni, Hassan Saeedi, Shapour Ehsanirad and Ashraf Banaii as their representatives and asked the workers to congregate by the Ministry mosque to meet with the Ministry officials.

With a number of workers entering the mosque and others prevented, about 50 workers sat in the mosque waiting for the Ministry officials. With two low level officials as well as the head of the security entering the mosque after a while for talks, the workers asked the Minister to be the one answering to the workers demands and went back to the Ministry yard to continue their protest.

Jafar Azimzadeh read a six point resolution pressing on the demands raised by the workers’ petition approved by the workers and ended their protest protecting the three arrested organizers and exited the Ministry compounds.

In the resolution, the workers demanded increase to the Minimum Wage, governments obligation to mend the social security fund from its default, elimination of the Mentor/Apprentice scheme, passing fines on the employers who do not pay wages on time, stopping any changes to the Labor and Social Security Law and implementation a number of rules including article 10 on modernization of the industries, elimination of the intermediary contracting companies and payment of the unemployment and social security benefits and insurance to the construction workers.

Some of the banners carried by the workers read “The “NO” answer from the Minister of Labor to petition of 40,000 workers”, “We demand immediate increase to the Minimum Wage”, “Implementation of of the Free Health Care Law is our inalienable right”, “”Mentor/Apprentice” Plan should be stopped”. Some of the signs read: “Mr. Minister, show us the way to live on a 487 thousand toman wage”, “Mr. President deliver your promises”. The workers also chanted “99% are hungry, 1% are secure” and “take 99 the cost of destroying social security fund from its plunderers”.

The workers vowed to continue with larger protests in future in case their demands are not addressed.