Labour discontent, protests spread across Iran

Iran Focus:

More than 50,000 workers took to the streets of cities across Iran on Saturday to protest against the government’s labour policies.

The largest protest was in the western city of Ilam, where 17,000 workers took part in a rally.

At least 20,000 workers also rallied in two separate towns of Pakdasht and Varamin near Tehran.

Another 10,000 workers from the province of Golestan, northern Iran, 4,000 factory workers from the eastern province of Khorrasan Jonoubi, and at least 1,000 workers from Iran’s Pars Electric based in Tehran all went on strike. READ MORE

Transportation facilities in the Iranian capital and the holy city of Qom, central Iran, also suffered a setback when employees joined fellow protesting workers.

Several thousand industrial workers from Bushehr, southwest Iran, Yazd, central Iran, and Shushahr, southern Iran also took part in the mass strikes.

Many protesters blamed the government for not ensuring that workers’ salaries were paid and for systematic deductions in insurance scheme benefits.