There were several protests by different sectors of Iranian society over the weekend, showing once more that the mullahs are widely unpopular among the people, who support regime change as the only way to improve their lot in life.
On Sunday, janitors and utility workers from the education system gathered outside the education ministry offices in Tehran, Lorestan, and Qazvin to protest salary discrimination and dire working conditions. These protests had taken place in other protests after the administrative court of justice reduced the salaries of many workers in a court ruling.
The state-run IMNA news agency reported on May 15 that these workers get 25-30 million rials per month, but the poverty line for a family of four is 100 million rials a month, so they getting less than a third of what they need to survive. Additionally, they are not given money for their uniform or bonuses, which further impoverishes them.
This is further backed up by the Tasnim outlet in February, which reported that over 16,000 utility workers are employed on less than 28-million-rials per month with no bonuses for overtime.
Also on Sunday, contract teachers from non-profit schools, who have advanced degrees and several years’ work experience, protested outside the parliament to demand that officials address their demands, including full payment of their insurance and benefits, as well as wages on par official teachers.
One teacher said: “Our salaries are sometimes even lower than those of workers. We’re not even given the respect of a simple worker. Majlis members must think about the work conditions of thousands of contract teachers and force the education ministry to employ these teachers.”
At the same time, contract teachers in Sistan and Baluchestan province demanded job security, higher wages, and improved conditions.
On Saturday, medical workers from Tehran hospitals and emergency centres, who are members of the Health System Cooperative Company, protested outside the local judiciary offices because the judiciary is refusing to process the corruption file against a construction project controlled by a businessman associated with the government and has returned the investments made eight years ago.
On the same day, municipality workers in Chabahar protested outside the municipality headquarters over wages that have not been paid in three months.
Meanwhile, water and sewage company workers in Izeh held a rally to protest the salaries that have now been delayed for 10 months.
These protests show that the rulling theocracy is increasingly unpopular.
Update:
Residents of Barangerd Baghmelk village in Khuzestan province closed the Ahvaz-Izeh road (main route to Isfahan province) on Tuesday, May 25, to protest the lack of drinking water They say that even the bakeries in this city cannot bake due to a 5-day water cut, and the residents not able to buy any water tanker which costs more than 100,000 Tomans.
On Tuesday, May 25, a number of the Ziar city farmers in eastern Isfahan rallied to protest water shortages, especially for agriculture. These farmers, clashed with the police who fired tear gas and plastic bullets at them.
On May 26, official oil workers in Tehran, Khark Island, Gachsaran, Abadan, Assaluyeh, Ahvaz, Bahregan, Mahshahr, etc. staged protest rallies. The rally follows a pre-announced call by official oil workers. These employees are protesting against how the government is increasing the salaries in 2021, which according to the is unjust.
