Workers of Haft Tappeh Sugarcane factory in Iran’s southwestern city of Shush in Khuzestan Province gathered on Tuesday protesting the privatization of the factory.
According to a worker who talked to Avatoday on condition of anonymity, “the main demands of the workers are: Pay the delayed salaries, stop privatization of the factory, bring back the workers who were fired due to the demonstrations, and stop the arrest of workers who demand their rights.”
Haft Tape Sugarcane Factory was formed in 1975. According to the rules of the factory since its establishment until the day it was privatized, all the retired workers of the factory were able to bring one of their family members to work instead of them under a rule named “son instead of father.”
Workers of Haft Tappeh went on a 21-day-strike in November 2018, demanding their delayed salaries and privatization of the factory.
Esmaeel Bakhshi, a worker himself, and Sepideh Gholian who was covering the demonstration as a journalist and dozens of other workers were arrested in the past and released on bail later.
Gholian however was arrested again last week and is sentenced to five years in prison.
