NCRI

Iran News: Protests Erupt Across Iran as Retirees and Workers Demand Higher Pensions and Basic Needs

Sedighe Shahrokhi

On July 7, retirees across Iran took to the streets in a series of coordinated protests, demanding higher pensions and better living conditions. These demonstrations come just two days after the regime appointed a new president, reflecting widespread discontent with the government’s handling of economic and social issues.

In Kermanshah, western Iran, retirees of the Social Security Organization gathered to reiterate their demands for increased pensions and essential services. A similar scene unfolded in Shush, southwest Iran, where pensioners chanted, “Let go of the headscarf, think about us,” highlighting their frustration with the regime’s focus on restrictive policies over addressing basic economic needs.

Ahvaz, another city in southwest Iran, witnessed two separate protests. Retirees from both the steel industry and the Social Security Organization held rallies, demanding that the government uphold its legal obligations to provide adequate pensions and essential services. Protesters in these rallies emphasized their right to a dignified life, a sentiment echoed by retirees in Isfahan and Damghan, who also took to the streets with similar demands.

In Tehran, retirees from the education sector and the Social Security Organization gathered in front of the Social Security Organization’s headquarters. Their protest included calls for the release of political prisoners, adding a political dimension to the economic grievances being voiced across the country.

The protests in Isfahan featured chants such as “Hossein, Hossein, their slogan; lies and theft, their work,” illustrating the deep mistrust and anger towards the regime and its abuse of religious rituals. This slogan was also heard in Damghan, where retirees of the East Alborz steel industry held their rally.

These demonstrations are not isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of civil unrest that has been building over recent months. On July 5, oil and gas company workers continued their strike for the sixteenth consecutive day, protesting against the regime’s anti-labor policies and corruption. In Ahvaz, employees of the Ahvaz Drilling Company and defrauded investors of Rezayat Khodro Taravat Novin also held protest rallies.

At the same time, several contract workers in the water and sewage network in Rudbar County have reached the twelfth day of their strike, and project workers in the southern oil and gas sector have reached the eighteenth day of their strike. According to ILNA, Rudbar Water and Sewage Company’s contract workers have been on strike since Sunday, June 26, due to an eight-month delay in wage payments and other labor issues. They have stated that they will continue their strike until they receive all their overdue wages.

The healthcare sector has not been spared from this wave of protests. Nurses in Mazandaran province reported being summoned to disciplinary committees, a tactic used by the regime to suppress dissent. Mohammad Sharifi-Moghaddam, Secretary-General of the House of Nurses, indicated that these pressures are not limited to Mazandaran but are widespread across the country. ILNA news agency reported that nurses participating in protests face threats of contract non-renewal and dismissal, highlighting the regime’s crackdown on labor rights.

Meanwhile, according to the Council for Organizing Protests of Oil Contract Workers, as of Sunday, July 7, 2024, project workers employed in at least 123 southern oil and gas companies continue to be on strike.

The report indicates that thousands of project and contract oil and gas workers have joined this campaign to improve their wages, leave conditions, job security, and their employment status by eliminating contractors.

The recent spate of protests underscores the regime’s inability to address the fundamental economic and social grievances of its citizens. Despite claims of stability and economic management, the realities on the ground reveal a different story.

In the wake of these developments, the regime’s handling of protests and economic policies remains under scrutiny. The widespread and sustained nature of the demonstrations indicates a significant level of discontent among various sectors of Iranian society. Retirees, in particular, are voicing their frustrations loudly, highlighting the growing gap between the regime’s promises and the lived realities of its citizens.

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