According to the Free Union of Iranian Workers, on Tuesday evening, December 30, at approximately 8:00 p.m., five workers from the Susa Middle East Sugar Company in Shush were released on bail after being detained by the city’s security police since Monday, December 29.
The released workers—Hossein Khesafpour, Karim Rezaei Kaab (the workers’ elected representative), Moslem Zahiri, Mahmoud Al-Kathir, and Massoud Mehrabi—returned to the factory following their release, where they were welcomed by their colleagues.
Security police had accused the workers of charges including “disrupting the production process and workplace order” and “communicating with hostile media outlets.” These allegations have been categorically rejected by the detained workers. They have emphasized that their protests are lawful and legitimate, stating that they will continue to pursue their labor demands and that arrests and judicial (case fabrication) will not deter the continuation of the strike.
On Wednesday, December 31, workers at the Susa Middle East Sugar Company entered the tenth day of their strike. Despite ongoing pressure, arrests, and legal proceedings, the workers have reaffirmed their determination to continue their protest until their legal and human rights are fulfilled. They have also warned that failure by authorities to address their demands may result in the expansion of protests.
The primary demands of more than 300 contract workers at the factory include:
- Full and fair implementation of the job classification scheme
- Establishment of an equitable wage system comparable to other companies in the region
- Job security
- Formation of an independent workers’ council
- Accurate calculation of Friday work compensation
- Payment of meal allowances
- Elimination of 12-hour work shifts
- Employment of local seasonal labor
The strike and protest gatherings at the Susa Middle East Sugar Company began on Monday, December 22. It is worth noting that earlier, on the same day, the five aforementioned workers had been summoned and detained by security police, prompting a group of workers to gather outside the security police building to demand information about their colleagues’ status.
