Groups of teachers in Tehran, workers of the Mian-Ab agro-industrial complex, bakers in Ahvaz, workers of the Zareh-Shuran mine, dismissed workers of the Koushkan transformer manufacturing company, workers of the Pasargad Alloy Steel Complex, and retirees of the Social Security Organization and the steel industry held protest gatherings in various cities across Iran.
A group of those who passed the 2025 Ministry of Education recruitment exam—commonly referred to as “green scorecard” candidates—held a protest gathering in Tehran on Sunday, December 14.
Workers And Nurses Hold Protest Rallies in Cities Across Iran
Participants in the protest traveled from across Iran to gather in Tehran in front of the Ministry of Education building to protest the lack of response to their demands.
During the gathering, they addressed officials of the Ministry of Education and chanted protest slogans.
At the same time, workers of the Mian-Ab agro-industrial complex in the Karkheh area of Khuzestan province entered the tenth day of their protest gatherings on Sunday, December 14, and went on strike.
On the tenth day of their protests, the workers criticized the production situation at the factory and, in comments to the state-run ILNA news agency, called for the removal of the factory’s management.
One worker said that “weak management and non-transparent decisions” over the past two years have caused a serious decline in the profitability of the production unit, creating widespread concern among employees.
A group of bakers in Ahvaz also gathered in front of the Khuzestan governor’s office on Sunday, December 14, and after chanting slogans, entered the building.
The Ahvaz bakers cited “reduced flour quotas and the failure to pay bakery subsidies” as the reasons for their protest.
Participants in the gathering chanted slogans including “Empty promises are enough; our tables are empty,” demanding immediate attention to their demands.
In recent weeks, bakers in Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Qom, Kermanshah, Birjand, and several other cities had also staged protests over their conditions and the non-payment of bread subsidies.
A group of dismissed workers from the Koushkan transformer manufacturing company in Zanjan also held a protest on Sunday, December 14, in the presence of representatives of the Ministry of Energy, demanding that their grievances be addressed.
Previously, dismissed workers of this industrial unit had held protest gatherings over the non-renewal of their employment contracts after years of service.
Workers of the Pasargad Alloy Steel Complex in Fars province went on strike for the second consecutive day on Sunday, December 14.
As labor protests in industrial units continued, a video received by Iran International shows that a group of workers at the Khusf cast iron factory in South Khorasan province also held a protest over the lack of transportation services and the death of their colleagues in a road accident.
Alongside these protests, retiree gatherings continued in several cities.
Retiree protests
Retirees of the Social Security Organization held protest gatherings on Sunday, December 14, in various cities including Rasht, Shush, Karkheh, Haft-Tappeh, and Kermanshah.
The state-run ILNA news agency wrote: “These retirees are demanding the implementation of Article 96 of the Social Security Law, an increase in pensions in line with the poverty line, access to free healthcare, and the payment of workers’ year-end bonuses.”
Social Security retirees in Rasht chanted slogans such as “Imprisoned protesters must be freed,” “No to execution, no to execution, no, no, no,” and “Inflation, inflation, theft from people’s pockets.”
Retirees of the Steel Fund in Isfahan also protested the failure to fulfill their demands regarding healthcare and pensions.
ILNA, quoting retiree news sources, wrote that these protests mainly involved demands such as “the failure to properly adjust salaries,” “delays in resolving healthcare problems of retirees in hard and hazardous jobs,” and “opposition to the merger of the Steel Fund with the National Pension Fund,” among others.
Social Security retirees in Kermanshah and Shush, along with retirees of the steel industry in Isfahan, chanted slogans such as “Austerity and restraint imposed on the nation” and “Unity, unity, against oppression and corruption.”
In recent years, retirees, workers, and pensioners have repeatedly held protests and marches in various Iranian cities over the failure to meet their demands.
The living conditions of these groups have led to a significant increase in the number of labor protests and gatherings.
The human rights website HRANA wrote in a report on March 19 that in 2024, at least 3,702 protests and strikes took place across various sectors of the country.
