Unpaid workers protest in Iran amid economic downturn

The sanctions imposed by the US since 2018 and lately the COVID-19 pandemic, have worsened Iran’s already weakened economy, which has lost most of its pre-sanction oil income. (IRNA)

• A group of nurses and medical staff have protested since the beginning of May
• Dozens of nurses and other medical staff have died while treating a large number of coronavirus patients

DUBAI: Iranian workers have staged a series of protests as employers failed to pay wages due to the country’s worsening economy, local Radio Farda reported.
Municipal workers, coal miners, machine manufacturers, and nurses are among those to take part in protest gatherings during the past month.
The sanctions imposed by the US since 2018 and lately the COVID-19 pandemic, have worsened Iran’s already weakened economy, which has lost most of its pre-sanction oil income.
A group of nurses and medical staff have protested since the beginning of May against what they referred to as “discrimination in payments and tariffs in Iran’s health system.”
The nurses said they did not get paid for their work. Dozens of nurses and other medical staff have died while treating a large number of coronavirus patients.
Iran is one of the most affected countries in the Middle East with a total of 133,521 infected cases and 7,359 deaths.