The state-run Rouydad24 news website wrote on May 19 regarding the protests by Zanjan municipality workers: “Disregard for workers’ rights in Iran is reaching new extremes every day. The top-down attitude of some officials, who have reached their current positions through the votes and money of the people, has caused hatred and dissatisfaction in society. Especially under the current conditions, where war has left many workers unemployed and society has become more sensitive than ever to the violation of its basic rights. Under such circumstances, a strange incident has occurred in the city of Zanjan.”
Gasoline Price Hikes in Iran Trigger a New Battle Over People’s Livelihoods
The protests by Zanjan municipality workers entered a new phase in recent days. Repeated gatherings by workers in front of the city council building were this time accompanied by a controversial incident. The protesting workers, who were objecting to cuts in overtime pay, salary conditions, and the huge disparity between managers’ bonuses and the wages of service workers, are now speaking of a violent and humiliating confrontation. According to witnesses, the incident involved a city council member’s car running over a worker’s leg.
Zanjan Municipality Workers Protest Wage Reductions
According to the workers’ accounts, the gatherings began several days earlier. Municipality workers said severe reductions in overtime pay had pushed many working-class families into crisis. They also protested the significant gap between managers’ bonuses and workers’ salaries.
The protesting workers gathered outside the Zanjan City Council building and demanded answers from officials. However, according to the protesters, no official was willing to speak with them directly.
At the same time, the departure of Mohammad Kazem Mojtahedi, a member of the Zanjan City Council, from the council parking lot escalated tensions. Several workers gathered around the vehicle and demanded explanations regarding wages and benefits.
During the Zanjan municipality workers’ protest, one protesting worker described the incident this way: “We had gathered in front of the city council building because of overtime and salary issues. Cleric Mojtahedi came out of the parking lot. The guys went toward the car and asked why the situation was like this. He did not get out of the car. I was standing in front of the car. He started the car and moved forward without paying attention. As he moved, he hit me and kept going. I fell to the ground and half of my body went under the car.”
Zanjan Municipality Workers’ Protest and the Livelihood Crisis
Municipality workers in recent years have repeatedly protested their living conditions. Reductions in benefits, delayed payments, and the wide gap between managers’ salaries and workers’ wages have been among the main causes of the protests.
In Zanjan as well, workers say rising living costs have left no room for cuts in overtime pay. Many of them stress that a significant portion of their monthly income depends on overtime work, and eliminating or reducing it creates severe economic pressure.
