44 Workers of the National Steel Industrial Group of Ahwaz were Arrested by the Iranian Regime

44 Workers of the National Steel Industrial Group of Ahwaz were Arrested by the Iranian Regime

By Ali Bouazar

Ahwazi activists reported that the Iranian intelligence security forces attacked the National Steel Industrial Group workers homes’ and dragging workers out of their homes in front of their families. 44 workers were arrested and have been transferred to the Sheiban Prison in Ahwaz.

The National Steel Industrial Group in Ahwaz have been protesting since November 9 over unpaid wages.

The US Department of State also showed their support in a tweet;

Yesterday, #Iran’s regime arrested steelworkers who simply asked to get paid for their work. Sadly, this is how the regime has always mistreated the Iranian people. The U.S. supports their rightful demands. Iranians deserve to live in peace and dignity. #

Haft Tappeh and National Steel Industrial Group of Ahwaz protesting inAhwaz, Khuzestan over unpaid wages. Thousands of Haft Tappeh workers sugarcanecompany gathered in front of the local governor’s office in the city of Shushon 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 44 workers from National SteelIndustrial Group of Ahwaz have been arrested;

Rebar rolling mills, wire and metal industry (Section one)

Amin Alwani

Morteza Akbarian

Beam rolling mill factory (Section two):

Karim Sayahi

Gharib Howeizawi

Jaafar Sobhani

Eissa Mar’ai

Majid Jenadeleh

Mehdi Tahmasebi

Ahmad Nour

Steelmaking Plant (Melting):

Meysam Ghanawati

Hamed Jodaki

Kosar rolling mill:

Taregh Khalafi

Pipeline factory:

Kazem Haidari

Masoud Afri Nejad

Koroush Esmaili

Ali Aqba

Mostafa Abayat

Hossein Dawodi

Mohsen Baluti

Mohsen Pahbani

Mohammad Pour Mohsen

Sayed Habib Tabatabai

Abdolreza Dasti

Jasem Safar Rumzi

Yasser Ebrahimian

Ali Etmami

Sayed Ali Jawadpour

Jawad Gholami

Machine Manufacturing Factory:

Hafez Kana’ani

Hamed Baseri

Fariborz Sheykh Robat

Ehsan Yousefi

Haft Tappeh Sugarcane was sold and privatized in 2015, since then all the wages and benefits have been cut.

In the other hand National Steel Industrial Group was founded in early 1960s and has nearly 4,000 workers. It was privatized in 2008 but following financial problems, its ownership returned to a government bank in 2016.

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.

By Ali Bouazar

Ahwazi Centre for Human Rights

Date: 23/12/2018