Oppression of Contract Workers of Irans Ministry of Oil, a Recurring Story That Led to a Strike – Iran News Update

While most of the attention over the past week has been on the election in Iran, something important has happened in the field of labor at the same time.

Reports from various parts of the country indicated that in some refineries and companies operating under the supervision of Irans Ministry of Oil, contract workers went on strike.

After investigating why this happened, it became clear that the constant problem of contracts and the inappropriate and unfair behavior of the contractors, and the negligence and lack of supervision of the Ministry of Oil have prevented this hard-working class from achieving their true rights.

According to local sources, the salaries of official employees of the Ministry of Petroleum are between three and four times higher than those who work as contractors.

That is if an official employee with the same job but under a contract with the Ministry of Oil receives a salary of 120 to 150 million rials [$485.82] per month, a contract worker who does the same job with the same conditions and difficulty but is under a contract with a contractor of the Ministry of Oil will receive a salary of 40 million rials [$161.94], which is to be accepted, a figure that is both extremely unjust and does not cover the living expenses of this day at all.

Iranians Continue Protests; at Least 22 Rallies and Strikes on May 22 and 23

And as usual, these strikes have been ignored by both Irans media and the authorities. As a result, the workers strike in Khark terminal has become a widespread movement and has spread from the oil sector to other areas, and workers in other sectors, such as steel, have also gone on strike in support of the oil workers. An event that will undoubtedly cause serious damage to the countrys economy and will be like a shock to Irans oil industry.

Instead of responding and trying to solve the workers problem and monitoring the performance of the contractors who have a contract with this ministry, the Ministry of Petroleum, in charge of this field, referred the problems to the private sector in response to reporters questions.

And on the pretext that this is in the realm of private companies, the ministry of Petroleum evaded accountability. The result of this stance has been the widespread dismissal of workers.

What the oil workers are demanding is not strange. These workers are demanding the right that their companions with similar working and professional conditions are receiving the benefits, and the officials of the Ministry of Oil have to prevent this discrimination to occur in their subdivisions even if the area is in the hands of the private sector.

The fact that the contractors of the ministries and organizations are abusing their employees and workers is an issue that has a long history, and the responsible agencies and the governments three branches are closing their eyes on this issue so that the country is witnessing a recurrence of this situation. If this issue is not resolved radically, even if these strikes end well, the government will face such events again in other parts of the countrys working class.

According to the opposition Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK), workers and employees in around 61 refineries, petrochemical and industrial centers, and power plants have gone to the strike. They are as follows:

1- Contract workers of Gachsaran Petrochemical Plant in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province2- Bidboland Refinery Behbahan Phase 2 in Khuzestan province3- Civil Industry Phase 14 in Tehran province4- Petrochemical Elixir of Industry Phase 14 in Bushehr province5- South Pars Oil and Gas Companies, Gas Fieldin Bushehr province6 Sina Sanat Ahmadpour Company in the unit ASU in Khuzestan province7 Sadaf Petrochemical Company in Bushehr province8 Khesht va Kenratakhteh Company in Fars province9 South Adish Refinery Kangan Spherical and Cylindrical Tanks of Karami Contracting and Rajan Company in Bushehr province10 Jahan Pars Petrochemical Company in Tehran province11 Satrap Sanat South Pars Company in Tehran province12 Sina Refining Company Qeshm in Hormozgan province13 Tavanmand Company Phase 22 and 24 in Isfahan province14 Overhaul of Tehran Oil Refinery in Tehran province15 FarjudSite 1 in Bushehr province16 Persian Gulf Star Oil Co in Hormozgan province17 Pars Phenol and Sina Pars Phenol Industry in Asaluyeh in Bushehr province18 Petrochemical Site 1 Samsam Sanat in Bushehr province19 Tondgouian Refinery in Tehran province20 Dena Petrochemical in Bushehr province21 Jahan Pars Company in Tehran province22 Payandan Company Contract in Phase 14 Assaluyeh in Bushehr province23 Phase 13 of Lidoma Company in Tehran province24 Phase 13 (Akhtar Phase) South Pars in Bushehr province25 Welding section of Bushehr Petrochemical in Bushehr province26 Spherical tanks Construction of Arak in Markazi province27 Farab Company project in Bidkhoon power plant in Bushehr province28 phases 11, 12, 13, 14, and 24 phases of Assaluyeh in Bushehr province29 Abadan refinery in Khuzestan province30 phase 13 of Kangan in Bushehr province31 Bidkhoon refinery in Bushehr province32 IGC Abadan refinery in Khuzestan province33 Hajipour Contracting Co in Tehran province34 Qeshm Oil Reservoirs in Hormozgan province35 Marine operations of Iran Oil Terminals Company in Bushehr province36 Sepahan Cement of Isfahan Holding in Isfahan province37 Employed AJC Company, Abadan Refinery Phase 2 in Khuzestan province38 ILD Power Supply and Instrument Company located at Bandar Tonbak in Bushehr province39 Kayhan Pars site in Khuzestan province40 Sazeh Pod Company in Tehran province41 Abadan Refinery in Khuzestan province42 South Tehran Company located in Mahshahr Port in Khuzestan province43 Employed Petrosaz Company In Bandar Abbas Oil Company in Hormozgan province44 Mobin Sanat Company working in Adish Petroleum Refinery in Hormozgan province45 Rajan Company working in Adish in Hormozgan province46 Refinery of Ramin Power Plant in Ahvaz in Hormozgan province47 Damavand Petrochemical in Bushehr province48 Dena Petrochemical Plant in Bushehr province49 D-Polymer Company in Petrochemical Industries in Bushehr province50 Butia Steel in Kerman province51 Pima Ney Sazeh Farafan Qeshm Co. in Hormozgan province52 Bid Boland 2 Mahshahr Project in Khuzestan province53 Overhaul Strike 15 and 16 in Tehran province54 Jahrom Combined Cycle Power Plant Workers in Fars province55 Darya Sahel Jofeir Company in Bushehr province56 Radiograph section of Bidkhoon Kargaran Power Plant in Bushehr province57 Bandar Abbas No. 5 Pumphouse in Hormozgan province58 Zolal Contractor Co. in Isfahan province59 Various sections of Jahan Pars in Ilam province60 Pishro Sanat Company in Adish Petroleum Refinery in Hormozgan province61 ODCC Oil Refinery in Isfahan province

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Oppression of Contract Workers of Irans Ministry of Oil, a Recurring Story That Led to a Strike - Iran News Update