As the economic crisis deepens and Iran’s regime fails to address the demands of various segments of society, retirees once again held protest gatherings across multiple cities. During these demonstrations, they chanted slogans against the officials of the regime in protest of the neglect of their economic and professional demands.
Protests by retirees from the Social Security Organization, as well as from the steel and mining sectors, took place on Sunday, April 20, in various cities including Isfahan, Ahvaz, Tehran, Rasht, Sari, Shahroud, Shush, Qaemshahr, Kerman, and Kermanshah.
Nationwide Protests by Retirees Highlight Deepening Economic Crisis in Iran
Videos circulating on social media show retirees chanting slogans such as “From Khuzestan to Gilan / Death to the officials,” “Ghalibaf, have some shame / Leave the parliament,” and “Hey lying government / Where are the results of your promises?”
Other slogans chanted by the protesters included: “Only in the streets / can we win our rights,” “No to humiliation, no to disgrace / Death to this justice,” “No handouts, no charity / Give us our rights with dignity,” “Unity, unity / against poverty and corruption,” and “We won’t live under oppression / We sacrifice our lives for freedom / Shame on this life, shame on this life.”
Protests by Oil, Gas Workers and Metro Employees
A group of Tehran Metro employees held a protest on Sunday, April 20, in front of the municipality and city council buildings.
These protesters voiced objections to the management’s performance and the non-payment of their wages.
According to the regime-aligned ILNA news agency, the workers’ demands included “No to changing the bylaws, independence of the Operating Company, full implementation of the Supreme Labor Council’s wage resolution, and no to unregulated hiring.”
At the same time, contract workers of the Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company held a protest, demanding the removal of intermediary contracting companies and the establishment of direct employment contracts.
In their protest, they declared: “We expect the employment reform bill to be passed immediately and the contractor system for workforce management to be dismantled.”
Contract workers at the 12th refinery of South Pars in Bushehr also stopped working for the third consecutive day on April 20, protesting the non-payment of their overtime wages.
These workers told ILNA: “So far, no official has responded to these protests. This behavior shows not only disregard for our rights but also disrespect toward the workers.”
In recent years, retirees and workers have repeatedly held protests and marches across various Iranian cities over the regime’s failure to meet their demands.
The worsening living conditions of workers, retirees, and pensioners has led to a sharp rise in the number of their protests in recent years.
The human rights website HRANA reported on March 19 that in the year 2024, at least 3,702 protests and strikes took place across various sectors throughout the country.
