Amid an ongoing livelihood crisis and industrial stagnation, workers at three manufacturing plants in Zanjan, Lorestan, and Ilam have staged protests over unpaid wages, factory shutdowns, and employment instability, demanding immediate official action to address their grievances.
Workers at the Serjin Baft textile factory in Zanjan report that they have not received wages or insurance contributions for four months since the beginning of the Persian calendar year. According to the employees, management stated that funds are currently unavailable to pay outstanding claims and informed workers who wish to discontinue their employment that they are free to leave.
Factory workers emphasized that skyrocketing living and healthcare costs, coupled with unpaid salaries, have pushed their households into severe financial distress.
Meanwhile, approximately 300 workers from the Azna Steel Complex, who were laid off years ago following the plant’s closure, gathered once again to demand the reactivation of the facility. They asserted that the majority of the plant's equipment remains operational and that only a lack of working capital stands in the way of resuming production.
The Azna Steel workers also noted that resolving the complex's status had been promised during the presidential provincial visit back in 2021, though the commitment remains unfulfilled.
