Workers of the Ahwaz Sugar Factory Protest in Demand of 18 Months’ Worth of Unpaid Wages

Iran – Ahwaz, 28 October 2012. Workers of the Ahwaz Sugar Factory have gathered outside the governor’s office in protest. 60 workers and their families are participating in this protest action. Workers demand their 18 months’ worth of unpaid wages and benefits. The ownership of Ahwaz Sugar factory, which has a 250 ton capacity, was transferred to a bank 4 years ago. Its production was halted until further notice, and its workers, with the exception of maintenance and mechanics workers (who are also protesting now) were laid off. Prior to becoming a subject of mismanagement by the government and a victim of the banks’ opportunism, this factory employed 500 workers directly and 2000 workers indirectly, and was considered one of most important factories in Ahwaz (ref).

The following is a short report on this protest action, published by the Iranian Free Workers’ Union: