Volunteer Activists’ third biannual report on Iran’s labor protests offers a clear snapshot of growing unrest from July to December 2023. It maps over 750 protests across 31 cities, where soaring inflation and stagnant wages have driven a 75% surge in labor actions. Drawing on interviews with activists and verified media sources, the report details challenges faced by workers across sectors—from oil and mining to healthcare and pensioners—and documents government measures impacting labor rights. These insights provide policy makers and civil society organizations with essential evidence to shape targeted support and advocacy strategies.

Key takeaways from labour protests and monitoring

• Encompassing 31 citiesthroughout Iran, there were more than 750 labor protests across the countrybetween July and December 2023.
• Labor protestsincluded strikes by oil workers, a relatively powerful group in Iran, as wellas workers in the mining sector, health care, industrial sector and jobseekers.
• Pensionersincreasingly combined forces and were among the most vocal protest groups, oftenprotesting in front of governmental offices and frequently demanding agovernmental step down.
• Dozens of trade unionand labor activists were fired, denied salaries and/or arrested and prosecutedduring the past six months just for trying to assert trade union and laborrights.
• The Iranian governmentactively pursued numerous legal changes affecting labor rights in Iran.
• While certain protestshave achieved success in compelling the government and employers to reconsidertheir actions in specific areas, many fell short of achieving the desiredoutcomes.
• By focusing more onorganization and by adopting two-step strategies, Iranian labor activists havethe potential to inspire greater successes.
• The internationalcommunity can assist Iranian workers by tightening links between foreign and Iranianlabor unions and by focusing more on socio-economic rights in Iran.