Steel and Sugarcane Workers Outraged Over Unpaid Wages in Ahwaz
Steel and Sugarcane Workers Outraged Over Unpaid Wages in Ahwaz
By Hossein Bouazar
Haft Tappeh and National Steel Industrial Group protesting in Ahwaz, Khuzestan over unpaid wages. Thousands of Haft Tappeh workers sugarcane company gathered in front of the local governor’s office in the city of Shush on November 14 demanding months of unpaid wages.
While these protests continuing for more than 13 consecutive days, workers of Iran National Steel Group held protests in front of Ahwaz governor office on November 12, in support of Haft Tappeh workers, chanting: “Release Haft Tappeh workers” and also demanding months of unpaid salaries.
Duing these protests at least 4 workers from Haft Tappeh – Sugarcane have been arrested;
- Mohammad Khanifry
- Hassan Fazeli
- Moslem Armand
- Issmail Bakhshi
Haft Tappeh Sugarcane was sold and privatized in 2015, since then all the wages and benefits have been cut.
Worth noting that Haft Tappeh Sugarcane was built during Mohammad Reza Pahlavi almost half century ago. In 1962, Haft Tappeh, an area 15km south-east of ancient Susa, was turned into a 10,000-hectare sugarcane production plant.
In 1950s, several so-called development economic plans had been set up in the Arab residential areas around Sus/Shushtar city. Vast agricultural lands belong to the indigenous Arab farmers were forcibly confiscated in order to establish joint agro-industrial projects like sugarcane plantations projects with collaboration with foreigners investors as the project literally named “Haft Tappeh.
Here is some of the videos of the protests in Haft Tappeh Sugarcane and National Steel Industrial;
Hossein Bouazar is a human rights activist from the Ahwaz region in Iran. He writes about human rights abuses committed on the Arab Ahwazi.
Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights
Date: 21/11/2018
