Labour
Iranian workers forced to work during COVID-19 epidemic
By IranNewsWire, March 16, 2020
Mar 19, 2020 - 1:25:46 PM

Despite the large number of deaths and infections due to Iran’s COVID-19 epidemic, Iranian workers in several large factories are still forced to go to work.

Yesterday, around 3,500 steel mine workers in the southeastern province of Kerman went on strike in protest to being forced to work.

The mine laborers work for the Arman Gohar, Gohar Zamin and Negin Partu companies which are subsidiaries of the Gol Gahar Steel Company in Sirjan.

Reports indicate that only the top managers of the company affiliated with the Iranian regime have been allowed to leave and be quarantined in their homes.

Other reports indicate that despite the high rate of infections in the northwestern city of Tabriz, workers in manufacturing companies and various service companies are still forced to go to work. The heads of most private companies and factories refuse to close their businesses and endanger the lives of their workers during the country’s COVID-19 epidemic.

According to one of the workers who wanted to remain anonymous, workers are forced to work 12 hours a day in close contact with hundreds of other workers.

“They don’t give us leaves and threaten to fire us,” the worker added.

Another worker said that they were not given protective gear like masks and gloves and that the factory did not check their temperature.

In Isfahan, social media reports said that three bus station employees in the central city were infected with COVID-19. Several others have been suspected of being infected. Despite this, the mayor of Isfahan who is also the head of the city’s bus company has refused to temporarily cancel the bus company’s activities.

On March 11, workers and employees of Iran Khodro protested after one of the workers suspected of being infected with COVID-19 passed away. Several other workers who were suspected of being infected were taken to the hospital. Iran Khodro was forced to shut down its factory several days later.

The Iranian regime announced 853 COVID-19 fatalities today but according to the National Council of Resistance, at least 4,900 Iranians have died from the virus in 182 cities.