A report on the protest rallies of the employed as well as retired teachers in at least 80 cities
3-December-2021
Category: Freedom of Expression، Labor and guilds
2-December-2021
Newsgroup: Freedom of Expression – Teachers –
Breathing in Confinement: On Thursday, December 2, 2021, in response to a previous call, teachers in at least 80 cities in Iran staged protest rallies in front of their city’s education department.
According to “Breathing in Confinement”, the news organ of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, on Thursday, December 2, 2021, the employed and retired teachers participated in protest rallies held in at least 80 cities across the country.
Teachers in Tabriz, Ardabil, Jolfa, Sari, Rasht, Sanandaj, Saqez, Marivan, Kermanshah, Noorabad-e Mamasani, Doroud, Kerman, Ahvaz, Hamedan, Zanjan, Qazvin, Tehran, Mashhad, Qom, Boroujerd, Bojnourd, Yasuj, Khorramabad, Shahr-e Babak, Shiraz, Isfahan, Divandarreh, Urmia, Firoozabad, Visian, Shahindej, Poldokhtar, Aligudarz, Miandoab, Gotvand, Jaizan, Shirvan, Amol, Saadabad, Ghiro Karzin, Bandar Kangan, Gachsaran, Malayer, Ilam, Kharameh, Ilam Mahdishahr Semnan, Estahban, Gorgan, Baghlamak, Arak, Lamerd, Tabarbat Heydariyeh, Shahrereza, Kazerun, Dehdasht, Shahrekord, Bukan, Khomeini Shahr, Behbahan, Khorrambid, Yazd, Noorabad Lorestan, Izeh, Andimeshk, Zahedan, Semirom, Bijar Omidieh and Shahroud participated in the rallies.
The rallies took place in front of the Education Department of cities and towns. Teachers from Tehran and Alborz provinces gathered in front of the parliament.
The protesters’ demands were “an increase in the salaries of the retired teachers based on the Civil Service Management Law, and the ranking of employed teachers and an increase in their salaries equal to at least 80% of the salaries of the faculty members of the universities.” The protesters also demanded the release of imprisoned teachers as well as the high quality and free education for all students.
During their rally, teachers in Gorgan covered one of their eyes in support of the people and farmers of Isfahan who had suffered eye injuries or lost their eyesight during last Friday protests because of birdshot fired by security agents.
The slogans chanted by the teachers at the rallies were: “The imprisoned teachers must be released”, “Teachers rather to die than to tolerate humiliation”, “No nation has ever seen so much injustice”, “Every teacher wants the implementation of the ranking plan”, “False promises will no longer work, rallies and protests will continue”, “Parliament! Do not betray, government! Do not support “,”Purchasing power, dignity and health, are our inalienable rights”,” Teachers! Stand up to eliminate discrimination “, “Implementation of the ranking plan, without restrictions.”
In the final resolution of the rally, the teachers insisted on their demands and announced that they would continue their protests if their demands were not met or the relevant laws were not implemented.
The resolution states:
“The Coordinating Council of Teachers ‘Unions of Iran, supporting the teachers’ union protests, warns the government and parliament: If the Civil Service Management Law, especially the plans for equalizing the salaries of retired teachers and the ranking of the employed teachers, is not implemented as provided in the law, protests in various forms, including sit-ins, rallies, marches, classroom closures and other legal forms will be continued throughout the country until our legal demands are met.”
The Telegram channel of the Coordination Council of Teachers’ Unions of Iran announced the number of participants in the teachers’ gathering in Fars province as 15,000.
According to reports, the gatherings were held while the security agencies tried to prevent the rallies by summoning and threatening union activists.
