16 December, 2024Four workers at the National Iranian Steel Company (NISC) in Ahvaz have been dismissed following a year-long struggle for fair wages, decent working conditions and proper implementation of a job classification scheme. The dismissals come after a series of industrial actions that began a year ago, involving around 3,000 workers.
A strike in December 2023 was triggered by the company suspending 21 workers and not delivering on promises of wage equality and job classification. Workers demanded the reinstatement of the dismissed workers, alignment of salaries with other steel companies and the implementation of a job classification plan.
Despite management initially pledging to address the demands, little progress has been made. Tensions escalated in October, when four long-serving employees were dismissed for advocating for workers’ rights. Hosein Rezaee, has 17 years of service, Saeed Halvaei, 19 years’ service, Morteza Akbarian, 17 years’ service and Masoud Navaser, was due for retirement.
Union leaders are calling for solidarity to secure the reinstatement of all dismissed workers, emphasizing that their actions were a legitimate defence of workers’ rights and benefits.
IndustriALL assistant general secretary Kemal Özkan says:
“The workers are targeted in response to legitimate industrial action. Trade unionism is not a crime. IndustriALL Global Union strongly supports the fight for reinstatement of the dismissed workers and urges NISC to immediately engage with the workers and their representatives to address their demands.”