Iran teachers, workers protest poor conditions

IranMania:

Several teachers who were laid off in the southern province of Fars joined protests by hundreds of workers from the western province of Qazvin against their dismissal and poor working conditions, ISNA reported.

The protesters had gathered in front of the Parliament in downtown Tehran demanding to meet Majlis Speaker Gholamali Haddad-Adel.

They chanted slogans and held up banners reading, God is Great, God is Great, Justice, Justice and We're Hungry, according to ISNA.

Even the heavy rain failed to disperse the protesters, who were holding plastic bags to protect themselves from the rain.

The workers were specifically demanding their eight months of arrear salaries and the teachers were protesting their expulsion. READ MORE

Last month, more than 100 teachers from Fars and Kermanshah provinces gathered in front of the Parliament to protest their dismissal, ISNA added.

The teachers said they were prevented from teaching in the current academic year under new employment regulations.

Qazvini workers had also gathered in front of the Parliament last month to object to poor working conditions. Some 400 workers said they have not been paid for 25 months.

According to ISNA, growing protests against poor working conditions and injustice come at a time when Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has given top priority to efforts to administer social justice.