Iran Focus: Tehran, Iran, May 06 – Life is hard and getting harder for scores of chinaware workers in the city of Qazvin who have gone without pay for seven months.
Iran Focus
Tehran, Iran, May 06 – Life is hard and getting harder for scores of chinaware workers in the city of Qazvin who have gone without pay for seven months.
As their standard of living grows lower and lower, mountains of debt rise higher for about 180 employees who for 42 days have participated in a daily sit-in in the courtyard of their factory, said a worker who spoke to Iran Focus about the hardships.
“Tell me how I’m supposed to support my wife and children,” said Farshid, who asked that his surname not be used out of fear of reprisal by the regime against him and his family. “If we don’t go to work, they won’t pay us what they owe us thus far. We do go to work, but there is no guarantee that we will eventually be paid.”
The sit-in begins each morning at 6.30 and continues until 2 p.m. The protest began shortly after the Persian New Year (21 March).
Farshid says the workers have decided not to end the sit-in until they are paid.
He accuses the factory’s management of forgoing employees’ wages in order to maximise their own profit.
He is frustrated by the lack of attention to their case from the city council and local government offices in Qazvin, which is situated about 150km north-west of the capital.
“They don’t pay any attention to us”, Farshid grumbles. “We can’t even afford bread anymore”.
