Coal miners protest in front of Iranian parliament
By Sara Rajabova
A group of coal miners have gathered in front of the Iranian parliament in capital Tehran on September 30.
The workers of the West Alborz coal mine company located in the northern province of Gilan held a protest, as they haven't been paid salaries in the last three months, IRNA news agency reported.
They asked the parliament speaker, Ali Larijani to handle their case.
The protesters said that the managers of the company announced its dissolution three months ago, however no salaries have been paid out so far.
This is not the first protest of the coal miners in Iran. Earlier, in July, the East Alborz coal Mine workers went on strike.
More than 1,000 coal miners went on strike in the Iranian province of Semnan in a protest at sudden changes in the company ownership. This change meant that they are being denied property promised to them in exchange for unpaid profit shares.
The Iranian government intended to transfer ownership of the East Alborz Coal Company to the Isfahan Steel Company, but then it faced mounting opposition from the 1392 workers who own shares in the mine.
The transfer of ownership of more than 42 hectares (100 acres) of land around the mine means workers will not receive the plots of land promised to them.