At least 27 protest gatherings held
16-September-2025
Category: Labor and guilds، protesters، Retirees
15 September 2025
News Group: Protests – Pensioners – Workers and Guilds –
Breathing in Confinement – At least 27 protest gatherings were held in various parts of the country. Different groups of people, including pensioners, workers, educational staff, volunteers, and patients, took part in these protests to voice their opposition to poor living conditions, oppression and injustice, government neglect, and the violation of their rights.
According to reporters of Breathing in Confinement, the news outlet of the Prisoners’ Rights League in Iran, retired telecommunications workers in the cities of Kermanshah, Tabriz, Sanandaj, Isfahan, Bijar, Tehran, Zanjan, Ahvaz, Marivan, Rasht, and Hamedan gathered in protest against the continued oppression by the Executive Headquarters and the IRGC’s Cooperative Foundation, their refusal to comply with Regulation 89/24, the non-payment of their entitlements, poverty, inflation, unfulfilled promises, and disregard for their demands. Pensioners chanted slogans such as: “Enough with promises, our tables are empty,” “Cry out, cry out against all this injustice,” “Mobin Trust of the IRGC has stolen our rights,” “Pensioner, raise your voice, demand your rights,” “The pensioner is awake, weary of oppression and injustice,” “Shame on you, incompetent manager,” and “The treacherous shareholder has ruined the company.”
Workers of the National Steel Group in Ahvaz, for the third consecutive day, gathered in front of the company’s management building. Their main demands included the immediate payment of overdue wages, settlement of debts to the Social Security Organisation, provision of supplementary insurance, and transparency in contracts.
Workers of the South Pars Gas Complex—including employees at Refineries 2 and 12, staff at Pars Gas Complex Site 1 in Asaluyeh, Site 2 in Kangan, the 40 POGC platforms, staff of the Oil and Gas Exploitation Company in Asaluyeh Special Zone, South Pars Gas Company (SPGC), oil and gas workers on Lavan Island, and Fajr Jam Gas Refinery—protested against incomplete wage payments and discriminatory pay practices. They demanded full implementation of allowances for operational zones, removal of the wage cap, full payment of severance, cancellation of unlawful pension deductions, reimbursement of illegally withheld taxes, and enforcement of Article 10 of the Ministry of Oil’s duties and powers. Workers chanted: “If you want sustainable production, remove the wage cap,” “Our professional slogan is justice, justice,” “Unjust segregation must be abolished,” “Payment restrictions must be lifted,” and “Our professional slogan is justice, justice. Parliament! Ministry! Shame on you, shame on you.”
Literacy Movement instructors gathered in front of the Ministry of Education to protest against broken promises, the failure to issue the decree on part-time teaching, and the uncertainty of their employment status. They chanted: “Literacy instructors, raise your voice, demand your rights,” and “Retired staff have taken our place.”
Candidates of the 2025 medical specialty exam protested against the conduct of the exam, the failure to publish answer sheets, and poor exam quality. They called for transparency, fairness, and accountability from the organisers.
Medical residents gathered in front of the Ministry of Health to protest against the ministry’s unplanned decisions and actions restricting certification rights, which threaten their career prospects. They chanted: “Unplanned actions are condemned, condemned.”
Customers of Kousha Khodro held a protest against the company’s failure to deliver cars more than a year past the promised date, its lack of accountability, and the absence of government oversight by the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade.
Workers of Zamyad Company protested the non-payment of overdue benefits—including bonuses, cash allowances, and basic provisions—as well as the suspension of overtime pay and prevention of labour representative elections.
A group of patients and their families gathered in front of the Food and Drug Administration to protest shortages of medicine and the threats posed to their health.