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INU - 1800 workers of the Azarab factory in Arak gathered for a fourth day of protests at the entrance of the Tehran-Arak road and closed the road, earlier this week. They protested the non-payment of their salaries and benefits for the past six months.The workers says that the company has no problem in terms of work and liquidity, but refuses to give workers their rights. The workers have demanded payment of their wages that are in arrears, as well as insurance and bank insurance payments, and the resumption of operations.The workers are also worried about being unemployed because the factory only works at 20% capacity.
Security forces reportedly attempted to disperse workers by firing tear gas and beating them with clubs. Anti-riot motorized and infantry guards, plainclothes and regime guards were videoed as they attacked and arrested dozens. The enraged workers confronted them with the slogans. Banners saying, “Innocent workers must be freed” and “The mercenary, go away”, “Jerk, jerk” were seen. A number of detainees were freed by workers’ efforts, but others were transferred to unknown locations.
900 workers from the Arak’s Hepco Company also gathered on the rail track route of Arak to Tehran. They have not been paid their salaries since the last winter.
Hepco is one of the largest manufacturers of heavy equipment for road construction, mining, and agriculture machineries in the Middle East. The factory has been in operation for 42 years. However, Hepco has undergone catastrophic decline over the past 10 years. The factory, with a workforce capacity of 3000, employs only 900 workers.
According to the news site of the Markazi province, the production capacity of this plant is 2000 heavy machinery machines, but its annual production is now 100 units. Imported machinery has replaced its production. The Managing Director of the company is Bijan Namdar Zanganeh, who is the oil minister under President Rouhani.
As well, the news site of the city of Kamijan quotes Mohammad Hassan Asafari, a representative of the regime’s Majlis, who said on January 6, 2015, that while large factories such as Wagon Pars, Hepco, Azarab, and Machinery operate, what justifies the government to purchase more than 5,000 wagons from Russia, and the municipality of Tehran to purchase over 3,500 wagons from China?
https://irannewsupdate.com/news/hum...rkers-clash-with-security-forces-in-arak.html
