Employees of Iran’s welfare organization and contract workers from the oil, gas and power sectors gathered outside parliament in Tehran on Wednesday to protest low wages and insecure employment, local labor groups said.
Staff from the State Welfare Organization said their salaries do not meet living costs despite long years of experience. Some told ILNA news agency that wide pay gaps between provincial workers and central office staff have fueled anger. Protesters voiced frustration over rising expenses and what they described as stalled government promises.
Oil, gas and power-sector contract workers joined the protest, urging lawmakers to remove intermediary contractors and implement legislation intended to shift temporary workers into permanent roles. They said the lack of progress has left many without stable income or benefits.
The protests come as Iran faces rising inflation and a sharp fall in its currency. This week, the rial slid to a new record low, with the US dollar trading at about 1.26 million rials, while gold prices also hit record levels.
Finance Minister Ali Madanizadeh has said the currency slide reflects the impact of a brief war with Israel earlier this year, while economists point to long-standing economic problems and renewed UN sanctions as key drivers of inflation.
Wednesday’s rally followed one of the largest labor actions in years at the South Pars gas hub in Asaluyeh, where at least 5,000 contract workers stopped work on Tuesday over wages and job security.
Labor unrest has increased across Iran as rising prices and currency volatility strain households, with rights groups reporting thousands of labor protests and strikes across the country over the past year.
“Tehran and Minsk have complementary economies and can meet each other’s needs,” Aref said, stressing that political goodwill between the two nations provides “a strong basis for broadening ties in trade, industry, and technology.”
The two-day meeting, co-chaired by Iran’s Industry Minister Mohammad Atabak and Belarusian Industry Minister Andrei Kuznetsov, brought together senior officials, business representatives, and experts from both countries to outline a new phase of economic, scientific, and industrial cooperation.
Atabak announced that Tehran and Minsk had agreed to establish joint industrial plants in Sistan-Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran, focusing on the production of heavy machinery, agricultural equipment, and mining technology as part of efforts to expand bilateral industrial cooperation. He called the initiative “a turning point” in bilateral industrial relations and part of efforts to implement the Iran–Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) free trade agreement.
Atabak added that the two governments aim to remove banking and customs obstacles, enhance trade facilitation, and allow Belarusian firms to use Iran’s southern ports as gateways to markets in India, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Officials also discussed joint ventures in pharmaceuticals, medical technology, and higher education, including university partnerships and mutual recognition of degrees. Aref said these initiatives could “turn scientific and technological cooperation into one of the pillars” of Iran–Belarus relations.
