Iran: Economic collapse and Suppressive measures

By: Hassan.Mahmoudi

Iran is facing the one of the worst economic crisis, rapid escalating Inflation, high rise in Youth unemployment, widespread Corruption and looting by the government.

Amid this situation, the painful sanctions on Iran’s oil sector will take effect on November 4, 2018, by trump administration.

In the meantime, Domestic strikes and protest shakes the major cities.

Railway workers in various parts of Iran, including Hormozgan, Shahroud, Damghan, Semnan, Zagros, and Lorestan launched their third round of protests on Saturday morning, demanding their paychecks that have been delayed for the past three months.

This is yet another example of people from all walks of life protesting in cities across Iran.

These workers, numbering at around 6,500, are saying they are very steadfast and serious on this new round of protests. The protesting workers issued a statement saying:

“We have not received our demands and pensions at a time when we are facing an increase in prices of ordinary goods on a daily basis and we literally lack the ability to provide for our basic needs.”

The workers are demanding their paychecks being provided on time through a regular trend.

“We railway workers are among the most deprived branch of society and the wages we are from contracting companies are provided at a very minimum. In the best of circumstances, a railway worker is receiving 15 million to 17 million rials a month ($107 to $121). Most of this goes to provide for the mortgage, water, electricity, and gas. Even if we are able to pay for these expenses, it will be through extreme difficulties and even further dilemmas will come our way.”

Meanwhile according to IranNewsWire Fifteen workers of the Heavy Equipment Production Company (HEPCO), were sentenced to prison and flogging in Iran.

Human rights groups have identified the 15 workers as Majid Latifi, Behrouz Hasanvand, Hamidreza Ahmadi, Amir Houshang Pour Farzanegan, Morteza Azizi, Hadi Fazeli, Abolfazl Karimi, Farid Kodani, Majid Yahyaie, Amir Fatahpour, Yaser Gholi, Amir Farid Afshar, Mehdi Abedi, Ali Maleki and Berouz Valashajardi.

The workers had protested their unpaid wages and the uncertain fate of the company in May.

HEPCO, an Iranian company that produces road construction equipment in Iran and the Middle East, was privatized last year. Labor rights activists say that the plight of workers began right after the privatization.

Iranian laborers who hold protest rallies and strikes demanding not only higher pay, but their unpaid wages are in danger of persecution.

According to Amnesty International, “independent unions in Iran are banned, workers have few legal rights or protections, and union activists are regularly beaten, arrested, jailed and tortured.”

Hassan Mahmoudi is a human rights advocate, specializing in political and economic issues relating to Iran and the Middle East.  tweet @hassan_mahmou1