As the Iranian regime continues to fail in addressing retirees’ demands, a group of retired oil industry workers held a protest in front of the Ministry of Oil building in Tehran. At the same time, groups of retired steel industry workers in Isfahan and Social Security retirees in several other cities also staged demonstrations.
On Sunday, October 19, oil industry retirees gathered to protest the incomplete implementation of the pension equalization plan, the failure to fully pay retirement bonuses, and the privatization of health and medical services.
The retirees addressed Mohsen Paknejad, the Iranian regime’s oil minister, chanting slogans such as “Incompetent minister / resign, resign,” demanding his resignation.
Some protesters also chanted slogans such as “Workers and retirees / unity, unity,” “Retirees’ pensions only lasts one week,” “Never to humiliation,” and “The retiree’s refrigerator is emptier than before.”
In recent years, retired oil industry workers have repeatedly gathered in front of the Ministry of Oil, holding placards and banners to demand solutions to their healthcare, livelihood, and professional problems.
Gathering of steel industry and Social Security retirees
On October 19, a group of retired steel industry workers in Isfahan held a protest rally and march in the city, chanting slogans such as “Wealthy country / what has become of you?”
At the same time, groups of Social Security retirees held protest gatherings in cities including Ahvaz, Shush, Rasht, and Kermanshah.
According to videos shared on social media, some retirees in Shush chanted slogans such as “Our enemy is right here / they lie it’s America.”
The state-run ILNA news agency reported that the Social Security retirees’ demands included free healthcare as stipulated in Article 54 of the Social Security Law, pension adjustments based on Article 96 of the same law, and the right to a decent standard of living.
ILNA added that the protesters stressed that Social Security “belongs to the insured” and that its “independence and capability” must be preserved.
In another report, ILNA wrote that on October 19, bakers in Tehran held a protest in front of the capital’s Bakers’ Union over the non-payment of bread subsidies.
According to the report, a day earlier, bakers in Mashhad had also held a protest against the non-allocation of bread subsidies.
In recent years, retirees and workers across various cities in Iran have repeatedly held protests and marches over the regime’s failure to meet their demands.
The deteriorating living conditions of workers, retirees, and pensioners have led to a sharp increase in the number of their protests in recent years.
