Iran: More than 800 mine workers continue strike for third day

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More than 800 Iranian mine workers protesting the non-payment of their wages continued their strike for the third day on Saturday in the city Pabedana in southern province Kerman,according the main Iranian opposition group.

The workers at Hashooni Mine who have not received their wages for the past four months blocked the main gate of the mine area, the website of  People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) reported.

Months-long delays in payment of salaries particularly to workers and government employees has become routine in Iran. In many instances, this has led to protests in cities across the country.

According to a confidential directive, the Iranian regime has reluctantly ordered a major state-affiliated company to pay workers the back pay that is owed to them this month in order to prevent possible protests by workers in the days leading to the elections for the regime’s Assembly of Experts and Majlis (or Parliament).

A repressive governmental body in the National Iranian Gas Company (NIGC) has advised company officials to pay all the workers’ unpaid wages prior to the February 26 elections, according to the text of the directive.

The directive dated January 20, 2016 was issued by the Herasat Office, a repressive body that has branches in every Iranian government institution and that spies and reports on government employees. The memo warned the managers of all refineries, operation managers and directors of human resources departments within the NIGC to pay the workers’ salaries to “prevent any possible gatherings or sit-ins and their related negative consequences”.

The directive indicates that any unpaid wages must be paid no later than February 24, 2016, two days prior to the regime’s sham elections.