Javad Motavali

The glow of the smartphone screen lit up Noura’s tired face as she scrolled through another job posting. “Packaging worker at a food company - 20 million tomans per month,” the ad proclaimed in bold letters. Her heart raced with a familiar mix of hope and scepticism. After years of dealing with employers’ misleading tactics in Iran, Noura had become experienced at job hunting. She had lost count of the number of times she’d shown up to interviews, only to be met with excuses and dramatically reduced salaries. The search for a decent livelihood in Iran has become a harrowing ordeal, as job seekers find themselves trapped in a web of broken promises and dashed hopes. Noura told IranWire, “On one of the popular job platforms, I came across an ad for a packaging worker at a food company.”

Contract workers at oil and gas companies operating in the South Pars gas field have been on strike for two weeks. The strike began on May 18 and has affected workers at various levels in companies like Payandan, Elixir Sanat, and IPMI in phase 14 of Kangan. According to the Council for Organizing Protests of Oil Contract Workers, many workers have left their workplaces and are now residing solely in dormitories. Their protest stems from dissatisfaction with stagnant wages, despite a 35 percent wage increase approved by the Supreme Labor Council on behalf of the contractors. The death of Pir Mohammad, whose body was recovered from the Persian Gulf waters, has brought the harsh realities faced by these workers into focus. Rumors about his death abound, with some suggesting suicide while others speculated he drowned while swimming.

IranWire | Editor – Labor & Civil Society | 2015–Present • Lead coverage of labor protests, civil movements, and human rights issues in Iran • Produce investigative and analytical reports for international audiences • Monitor and verify developments under restrictive information environments