Steelworkers of the Iran National Steel Industrial Group (INSIG) in Ahvaz, Khuzestan, continue their protest for their overdue wages, various problems, mismanagement and corruption in directing this industrial complex.
The Steelworkers also demand the return of the INSIG to government ownership. The factory was sold to the private sector under deceitful conditions. The private owners are affiliated to the corrupt ruler, Khamenei, and the Revolutionary Guards’ figures.
The new round of strikes and protests of the steelworkers of Ahvaz entered its second month while many steelworkers, wearing shrouds, staged a rally in front of the governorate of the regime in Ahvaz while the slogan “We resist, we die, but we do not bow to injustice,” was written on their white shrouds. The Steelworkers also were chanting: “Lest we surrender to injustice”; “Neither threat nor prison, they have no effect anymore!”
As the protesters moved across the city, many other Ahvaz citizens joined them and expressed their support for their demands.
In response to the Iranian students’ support for the steelworkers’ protests, the workers chanted: “student, worker, unit, unit!”, “Jailed workers must be freed “, and “Jailed students must be freed.”
One of the workers gifted a rose flower to the students who have been supporting the protests of Ahvaz workers in recent days, saying, “This flower is for the students who are hearing our voices and stand with us.”
The regime’s highest officials were harshly targeted by the steelworkers in their slogans: “Neither the ruler nor the state – no one cares about the nation”, “Neither ruler nor the state, cannot overcome the workers”, targeting the Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
Referring to Rouhani’s hollow promises during his presidential election campaign who showed a key as a symbol of solving the problems and overcoming the society’s locked situation, boasting of his administration as “the government of prudence”, the furious demonstrators chanted, ” Rouhani, the liar, where is your prudence key!?” and “Inflation, high prices, answer to us Rouhani”
Regarding the state-run TV which, these days, hypocritically advocates the French protesters and sheds crocodile tears for their violated human rights, but does not broadcast the plight of the Iranian toilers, the steelworkers cried, “Our disgrace, our disgrace, is our national radio, and TV.”
Meanwhile, in Tehran, a group of workers gathered in front of the parliament in support of the toiler steelworkers of the Ahvaz Steel National Industrial Group and the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane workers. They called for the release of detained laborers, the striking workers’ job security, and demanded that the hands of the government’s mafia in these industries would be cut off.
