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Iranian Truck Drivers Launch Strike in Seven Provinces

by Michael Lipin

   Iranian truck owners and drivers have launched a strike in seven of
   Iran's 31 provinces to protest poor working conditions.

   Iranian social media users shared details and images of Tuesday's
   strike with VOA Persian. They said it involved truckers in the
   provinces of Fars, Hormozgan, Isfahan, Kerman, Khorasan Razavi,
   Lorestan and Qazvin.

   In one video clip sent to VOA Persian and posted on the VOA Farsi
   Twitter account, a female truck driver says she is joining the strike
   in solidarity with her colleagues. She also identifies her location as
   a highway to the city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran.

   Images of the truckers shared on social media showed them holding signs
   complaining about their costs rising while their salaries stagnate. The
   truckers said the rising costs included insurance, road tolls,
   commissions, repairs and spare parts.

   It was not clear how long the strike would continue. There was no
   immediate response to the truckers' demands from Iranian authorities on
   state media.

   Various Iranian industries have seen an increase in strikes and
   protests this year by workers fed up with local and national officials
   and business owners, whom they accuse of mismanagement and corruption.

   This report was produced in collaboration with [1]VOA's Persian
   service.

   Michael covers international news for VOA on the web, radio and TV,
   specializing in the Middle East and East Asia Pacific. Follow him on
   Twitter [2]@Michael_Lipin

References

   1. https://ir.voanews.com/
   2. https://twitter.com/Michael_Lipin