“Free our colleagues!” the first demand of striking steelworkers in Iran as 41 workers are arrested

On 18^th December 2018, striking steelworkers of the National Steel Group of Ahvaz in Khuzestan, Iran, continue to strike and protest on the 39^th day of their strike and after the Islamic Republic of Iran arrested 41 workers in their homes in night raids and at the assemblies.

Gholamreza Shariati, the governor of Khuzestan province, faced rebuke and was left speechless at the workers’ assembly where he was asked about the arrest of the workers. The governor said that he is going to Tehran to get approval for some funds but the workers shouted “Why have you arrested our colleagues?”

The workers kept asking about the arrests and the governor kept saying “Let me speak please”, but he had nothing to say about the arrested workers.

In the assembly, the workers decided that their first demand is the “freedom of their colleagues” and that this is a precondition to any negotiations and talks. They continue to fight for their demands “without any compromise”.

The strike has become the subject of other protests in Iran. Retirees in a protest in front of the Iranian Majles (parliament) demanded the release of the arrested steelworkers and sugar cane workers of Haft Tapeh; many other organisations have also released statements in solidarity with the workers and in condemnation of the arrests.

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