Pensioner protests sweep Iran over deteriorating conditions and regime policies

By
Staff Writer
-
Retirees and pensioners across various sectors in Iran have taken to the streets in a wave of protest rallies spanning from Sunday to Tuesday.
Retirees and pensioners across various sectors in Iran have taken to the streets in a wave of protest rallies spanning from Sunday to Tuesday.

Retirees and pensioners across various sectors in Iran have taken to the streets in a wave of protest rallies spanning from Sunday to Tuesday.

 

Demonstrations erupted in dozens of cities as the elderly voiced their concerns about the deteriorating quality of life and the current regime’s policies that have exacerbated their plight.

This recent surge of discontent commenced on Sunday with retirees affiliated with the Social Security Organization staging rallies in several cities. These retirees demanded an increase in their pensions to cope with the rising cost of living . In Kermanshah, protestors were heard chanting slogans against the government of President Ebrahim Raisi.

 

 

The criticism is largely due to Raisi and his cabinet being perceived as fiercely loyal to the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. The administration is accused of prioritizing security over welfare, with vast sums being invested in security forces and surveillance, even as inflation soars and basic commodities become unaffordable.

Protests in Shushtar witnessed retirees urging unity, while in Ahvaz and Shush, dissenters lambasted authorities responsible for managing the Social Security Organization. Parallel to this, retired steel industry workers in Tehran and Isfahan took to the streets, echoing similar sentiments regarding pension adjustments in line with inflation, a provision the regime has chronically ignored.

 

Monday saw retirees from the Telecommunication Company of Iran (TCI) resume their regular protests. The bone of contention is a 13-year-old legislation mandating TCI to adjust pensions in line with inflation and living costs. However, with the TCI’s privatization and its reins handed to regime-affiliated individuals, these demands have fallen on deaf ears.

Majid Soltani, TCI’s CEO since 2020 and formerly with the State Security Forces, along with Mahmood Ebrahimzadeh, chairman of the board, are both seen as prioritizing regime interests over those of retirees. Chants from these protestors indicated a complete lack of trust in the regime, with sentiments expressed in Mashhad, Isfahan, and Kermanshah reflecting a deep-rooted discontent with the system.

 

Tuesday saw retired government employees join the fray, congregating outside local government retirement fund offices. Rallies were fueled by the same demands for pension adjustments and a call for the regime to uphold its own laws, with protesters across cities like Ahvaz, Yazd, and Sanandaj expressing their grievances vocally.

An overarching theme in these protests is the retirees’ demand for the regime to implement its own laws, especially in sectors like telecommunications and the government retirement fund.

 

 

With protests also sprouting in cities like Poldokhtar, Kermanshah, and Tehran, it is clear that Iran’s retirees are intent on making their voices heard, demanding basic rights and a dignified life in their golden years.

 

 

 

MEK Iran (follow us on Twitter and Facebook), Maryam Rajavi’s on her site, Twitter & Facebook, NCRI  (Twitter & Facebook), and People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran – MEK IRAN – YouTu

 

 

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