Reports circulating on social media indicate that some sectors of Iran’s oil and gas industry began embarking on strikes on Saturday to protest low wages and dismal working conditions.
Activists suggest that continued strikes, coupled with the potential involvement of other critical sectors, could pose serious challenges for the government as the economy as a whole is in crisis.
In a video message, Mohammad Javad Sabouri, a former employee of the South Pars Oil and Gas Company, called on different segments of the population to join the nationwide strikes of oil and gas industry personnel in the South Pars region ( Persian Gulf). The primary objective is to disrupt the economic machine of the Islamic Republic, he stressed.
However, details on the location and companies affected by the strikes are still not available.
This development recalls the measures taken last April when workers in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical industries launched a strike, demanding wage increases in response to an annual inflation rate above 50 percent. Contract workers in cities like Asaluyeh, Dehloran, Gachsaran and Kangan stopped working, pushing for a 79% increase based on their proposed list. Currently, most workers earn between $120 and $150 per month, while a family of four needs $450 to meet basic needs.
The last few months have witnessed a sharp rise in protests against economic hardship, with workers, guild members and retirees from various industries and regions expressing their discontent. Demonstrations were often repressed by security forces.
