NCRI Iran News | Iran Protests
The Workers of a Major Sugarcane Company Went on Strike in Western Iran
- Saturday, 24 June 2017 01:56
NCRI - Hundreds of workers went on strike at Haft Tepe Sugarcane Industry while demanding the unpaid receivables. The security guards banned 30 workers from entering the company on Thursday, June 22.
According to the state-run ILNA News, the workers stated that the employer has prohibited 30 workers from entering the company; insinuating that they were leading the protests. It is noteworthy that these 30 workers have 18 to 22 years of job experience. The protests continued until Thursday.
The state-run newspapers had earlier reported that nearly 1500 wagers and permanent workers have participated in the strike since last week.
The workers protested against the 4-month due salaries, receivables, and bonuses of 2015 and 2016 as well as the premiums, of which the employers failed to pay to the Social Security Organization. Therefore, the insurance cards of workers have not been extended as well.
The workers also said that they did not avail the recent enactment passed by the Crisis Staff of Khuzestan governorate following the harsh climate in this province.
ILNA News quoted one of the workers that Haft Tepe Sugarcane workers have been stopped working almost every day since the beginning of the year. They are protesting against the unpaid salaries and receivables at this unit.
The retired workers of this company have also joined the union protests. They demanded the 4% payment of pensions allocated for difficult and harmful jobs to the Social Security Organization.
However, the employer has not even paid the bonuses of 2015 and 2016.
However, the employer has not even paid the bonuses of 2015 and 2016.
Haft Tepe is the oldest sugarcane factory in Iran, which was established 50 years ago and was privatized by the government in March 2015. This Company had earlier owed the substantial debt of 180 billion Tomans ($55.4 million) to the Social Security Fund. Nevertheless, this amount increased to more than 220 billion Tomans ($67.7 million) during the past 15 months since the employers failed to pay the premiums for the employed and retired workers exclusively.
