Last night and today (June 12, 2018), at least 60 National Industrial Steel Group workers were arrested in Ahvaz. For past few days, the workers organized a rally in protest of lack of raw materials and the delay in their quarterly wage pay.
Ghulamreza Shariati, Governor of Khuzestan, told Iran’s news agency, “The governor is following the situation of detained workers from last night.” He continued saying: “The reason for these workers rally is the lack of raw materials and unpaid wages. ” The presence of special police forces in today’s rally was high and the Khuzestan Governor’s building surrounding streets were under security control.
Ahwaz Steel National Group is facing bankruptcy due to mismanagement and the workers of this institute are struggling with many problems. In recent months, the Ahwaz National Steel Group workers have repeatedly gathered in front of the Khuzestan Governor’s building in protest of non-payment of their demands. On March 17th, 2018, during the workers’ protest in one of the Kianpars’s street in Ahwaz, a protest worker was run over by a vehicle and injured. “
Ahwaz Steel National Industrial Group was one of the companies belonging to the Amir Mansour Arya Investment Group, which was handed over to the Judiciary after the embezzlement of 3,000 billion.
The Free Trade Union Telegraph Channel has listed the names of thirty-two detained workers as follows:
۱- Hossain Javid Hamodi, 2- Biman Shajarati, 3- Mohamad Naghizadeh, 4- Ali Jamaati, 5- Rahman Samak, 6- Karim Siahi, 7- Ali Aghieh, 8- Ali Taheri, 9- Mostafa Zarghani, 10- behzad Alikhani, 11- Saed Alimoradi, 12- Amir Shabani, 13- Sidrzagh Mosavi, 14- Hadi Vanli, 15- Farzad Gharachi, 16- Younes Amiri, 17- Saed Alimoradi, 18- Nur AliKhan Mohamad, 19- Amir Harizavi, 20- Ahmad Afravi, 21- Hossain Afri, 22, Ebrahim Farsi, 23, Mohamad Alavi, 24- Saed Javad Mosavi, 25- Alireza Mojarab, 26- Javad Eskandari, 27- Ali Daghagheleh, 28- Ebrahim Bromand Nia, 29- Ali Hazbni, 30-Fiazal Sari, 31- Shahin Babaahmadi, 32- Kazem Haidari
The arrested workers were transferred to the Ahvaz Drug Offender Center, near the She-Rah Andimashk outside the city of Ahwaz.
According to recent reports, in addition to the today’s street protest, steel workers protested in widespread of their colleagues’ detention, and from this morning, a number of workers, along with the families of detained workers gathered in front of the anti-narcotics police station.
It should be noted that on March 1st, 2018, security forces with a list of protest workers from the Ahwaz National Steel Group, overnight, came to the houses and arrested a large number of protest workers.
These mass arrests were carried out at the time with the order of the Ahvaz Prosecutor’s Office, and in addition to more than 10 arrests, Ahwaz police forces contacted many of the workers and requested their home addresses.