Demonstrations in 20 Iranian cities: Revolution of workers and laborers shakes Khamenei’s throne

International Workers’ Day is the most prominent event to
bring about protest in Iran against the regime of the Supreme Leader Ali
Khamenei in light of the deteriorating economic and living situation and months
of delays in wages, in addition to the major corruption for which the Iranian
economy is known.
On International Workers’ Day, Iran witnessed widespread
protests by workers and laborers in 20 Iranian cities chanting against the
regime, corruption and low wages, with some demanding the fall of the regime.
According to videos posted on social media, gatherings were
organized across 15 provinces in cities such as Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Tabriz,
Kermanshah, Borujerd, Arak, Bojnord, Khorramabad, Ilam, Ahvaz, Rasht, Sari,
Isfahan, Qazvin, Maragheh, Shush, Shahin Shahr, Nishapur and Qom. The
demonstrators gathered in front of the Ministry of Labor in Tehran and in front
of Social Security offices in other cities. The protests were met by the
Iranian regime with repression, arrests and violence.
During the demonstrations, protesters chanted various
slogans, including “Job security must be restored”, “Our pain is your pain, O
people join us”, “The government of thieves, the enemy of the workers”, “Death
to the oppressor, and greetings to the worker”, “Let the political prisoners be
released”, “The student, the teacher, and the worker unite”, “Parliament and
government, stop deceiving the people”, “Shame on us, shame on us, our secret
government”, “We no longer vote, we heard many lies”, “The worker dies, he does
not accept humiliation”, “Demand your right, O worker and farmer”, “The
oppressed worker’s right is deprived”, “The imprisoned worker must be released”,
“The government is the enemy of the working class”, “We get our rights only on
the street”, “We heard a lie; we will not vote anymore”, “We will not stop
until we get our rights”, and “The poverty line is 10 million but our salary is
2 million”.
This year, International Workers’ Day came at a time when
various statistics and reports indicate the deterioration of living conditions
and job security for Iranian workers over the past year, as well as the
suppression of the increasing system of trade unions and protesting workers.
Over the past year, as cities across Iran witnessed labor
gatherings and union protests, at least 37 workers and activists were arrested,
according to human rights organizations.
In this regard, the Hrana news website wrote that the
arrests included four labor activists from the Haft Tappeh company, five
workers from the Kut-e Abdollah municipality, six participants from a gathering
to support Haft Tappeh workers, and dozens of nurses and teachers.
One example of the security crackdown on labor activists is
the arrest of Mehran Raoof, a 64-year-old Iranian-British citizen and labor
rights activist who was arrested in September 2020 by Revolutionary Guard
agents.
According to the report, the judiciary in Iran also
sentenced 46 labor activists to 636 months in prison and 3,108 lashes, and
summoned 51 workers to the judicial and security authorities.
For example, in December 2020, labor activist Arash Johari
was sentenced to 16 years in prison for “conspiring against national security,
running illegal gangs and propaganda against the regime.”
The leader of the Iranian opposition abroad, Maryam Rajavi,
welcomed the workers’ uprising and protest, saying that despite the repressive
measures, they took to the square on Workers’ Day to express their “disgust”
with the dictatorship of the mullahs, which is an “endless government and the
enemy of workers,” and they called for a boycott of the mullah regime’s
scripted election.
Rajavi added that as long as the regime is in power, then
poverty, inflation, unemployment, oppression and discrimination against workers
will increase more and more. The overthrow of the mullah regime and the
establishment of freedom and democracy are necessary to restore the rights of
workers and laborers. The United Nations, human rights organizations and those
defending workers’ rights called for immediate measures to be taken to secure
the release of detained workers in Iran.
Among other statistics related to Iranian workers during the
past year: 1,331 cases of separation and settlement, 4,224 cases of
unemployment, 28,493 cases of insecurity for workers, and 4,244 cases of
uncertainty in the field of work.
It is reported that deaths and worker injuries from
work-related accidents are other topics of importance in the reports.