With the continued failure of Iran’s regime to address the demands of retirees, groups of retirees from the steel and social security sectors held protest gatherings and marches in various cities across the country, voicing grievances over unmet professional and livelihood demands. Retired oil industry workers also issued a call for protest gatherings.
The protests by steel and social security retirees took place on Sunday, April 13, in several cities, including Isfahan, Ahvaz, Tehran, Sari, Rasht, Shush, and Kermanshah.
In Ahvaz and Shush, protesting retirees not only gathered in front of the governor’s office buildings but also marched in the streets, chanting slogans such as “Only on the streets do we win our rights.”
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Other slogans heard at the protests included: “Retirees, rise up to end discrimination,” “We sacrifice our lives for freedom death to this life, death to this life,” “Under the weight of inflation the people’s backs are broken,” “No nation has seen so much injustice,” “Neither the government nor parliament care about the people,” and “Enough of oppression our table is empty.”
The retirees’ protests have expanded due to the disregard shown by Iranian regime officials toward their demands, now encompassing retirees from a variety of professions.
Call for protest by oil industry retirees
Retired oil industry workers, in response to the worsening economic and livelihood crisis, called for a large protest gathering in front of the Ministry of Oil in Tehran on April 16.
The organizers of the oil industry retirees’ protest stated in their call: “Officials must understand that there will be no appeasement, and retirees will demand their rights in the streets, through shouting and protest.”
Videos circulated on social media show a group of contract workers from the Gachsaran Oil and Gas Company protesting in front of the company’s headquarters on Sunday, April 13.
The gathering was held to protest the lack of change in workers’ employment status and to demand the removal of contractor intermediaries.
In recent years, retirees and workers have repeatedly staged protests and marches in cities across Iran over unfulfilled demands.
The economic hardships faced by workers, retirees, and pensioners have caused a sharp increase in the number of protests in recent years.
