Qom Operators Shut Information Lines for a Second Day

On July 25, the information telephone operators in the holy cit of Qom shut the lines from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. and stopped work protesting for a second consecutive day.

According to Iran Labour News Agency (ILNA), one of the workers wishing to remain anonymous said that: “since July 23, a new contractor has signed a new contract with the Qom authorities declaring that they will run the information operator service with 35 employees and the officials have agreed to the terms as well.” According to the said worker, half of the operators who all have more than ten years of service with these telephone services are to be laid off. With the last two days protests, they are now saying that 50 of the 70 employees shall be kept instead of the original 35.

Another worker says: “while the workers have gone on strike and the phones have remained unanswered for several hours, Qom telecommunications chairman has not even showed up once to see what the issues are. We even mentioned yesterday during the walkout that we are asking to meet with the governor, but until now, neither the governor nor any of his representatives have come to hear our grievances.”

According to another of the workers, “the new contractor has declared that those not laid off should stay on the job for 12 hours each day; that is they are trying to force 4 extra overtime hours on the workers who can barely stand the stress of the eight hours day.”

Another protesting worker says: “After 10 to 15 years of service at the telephone information center and suffering eyes, ears, and stress problems, now they tell us good bye, you are let go.” He called on the telecommunication executives to “at least let us know in six months or one year advance that you are to lay us off so we can look for new jobs. Not that we come one day and hear that we are laid off, this is an injustice to those who have spent their youth and life in the telecommunications industry.”

Another worker mentioned that: “even not a single one of the current 70 operators is let go, still this work force is not enough to meet the demands. This is because of the presence of the offices of the grand ayatollahs in the city, it is not only the people of Qom but other cities who contact us in addition.”

A similar protest was reported by the telecommunications operators in the city of Kermanshah on July 22.