Shiraz Telecom workers strike

Shahrzadnews: Over a hundred Shiraz Telecom workers, along with subcontracted staff manning its directory enquiry desks, have for the past week been on strike and picketing the local provincial government building. They are protesting against redundancies, poor working conditions and the introduction of what they regard as unfair temporary employment contracts.

The ILNA news agency reports that the company responsible for providing staff for the emergency and directory enquiry services have said they won’t sign a new temporary contract until the strikers return to work.

The new contract links pay to the number of calls processed by each member of staff. This could reduce salaries by up to 200,000 Tomans ($110) a month.

According to the ILNA, twenty strikers have already accepted the terms of the new contract and gone back to their posts because the immense economic problems they face daily mean they cannot afford to do otherwise.

The deputy human resources head for the Shiraz provincial government said the new employment conditions would lead to considerable savings and better efficiency. Meanwhile the Shiraz Telecom chairman has come out in support of the subcontracting company.

“Workers’ salaries are not actually being reduced. The new contract is based on performance, and they simply have to adapt to the new conditions.”

Most strikers are still refusing to go back to their jobs, and consequently the city’s emergency and directory enquiry numbers are not functioning.