Iranian Dissidents Reveal Ministry of Intelligence’s Extensive Surveillance of Protests in Oil & Gas Sector

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Written by
Mansoureh Galestan

Newly released documents from Iranian dissidents have revealed that the Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) is the organization responsible for closely monitoring protests, paying attention to even the smallest details such as the number of workers involved and the specific locations of disputes. This indicates that the Iranian regime views protests through a security lens and considers them a serious threat.

The documents further reveal that protests in the oil, gas, and petrochemical sector are initially discussed at the headquarters of the Ministry of Intelligence in Tehran and subsequently communicated to the Presidential Organization.

Moreover, the documents highlight that the measures taken by the regime, as reported, primarily involve pressuring and repressing the demands of the workers. The regime even considers implementing plans to alter the demographics of the area, intending to sow divisions among workers by getting some of them to end strikes.

In addition, the files demonstrate that the MOIS has been actively implementing a practical mechanism to identify protesters. According to the documents, the ministry uses social media monitoring to track and apprehend some of the protesters, subsequently employing them for espionage activities and against their own colleagues.

The documents and their translations follow:

Islamic Republic of Iran
Ministry of Intelligence

Latest Status of Labor Protests in the Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Industries

Through online calls, the labor community in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, has initiated protests since April 22, 2023, demanding the fulfillment of their work-related demands. These protests have started in some projects that were under development. The trend of labor protests and quitting work has been on the rise until Friday, April 27, 2023. However, thanks to measures taken by the government and intelligence procedures, approaching International Workers’ Day (May 1, 2023), the intensity of the protests has been on the decline so far.

The main demand of the labor community in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries this year is the inequality between the 27% salary increase and the inflation rate. The protesting workers are demanding a 79% increase in wages based on the calculated inflation impact for the year 1402 (March 2023 – March 2024). Other livelihood-based demands of the labor community include:

Payment of arrears
79% increase in workers’ wages
Improvement of working conditions and rest camps
Implementation of the 20-10 plan (20 days of work and 10 days of rest)
Timely payment of salaries within 10 to 15 days after each month’s work
Reduction of working hours from 10 to 8 hours per day
Latest Status of Involved Provinces Bushehr Province

Bushehr Province:

With approximately 64,000 contract workers (operational, production, utilization, support, service, and project-based), is the main center of labor protests and work stoppages. Until May 2, 2023, a total of 12,192 workers have left their workplaces and participated in labor protests in the oil and gas industry. Considering the fluctuating presence of workers at sites in Special Energy Economic Zones, the total number of workers present in the area is approximately 23,000. According to the decision of the Bushehr Provincial Security Council, a 5-day opportunity until April 28, 2023, was given to workers to return to work, and since Saturday, the increase of quitting work by workers has stopped, and around 300 workers returned to their workplaces on a daily basis.

Khuzestan Province:

A total of 2,469 workers from the construction project of the second phase of Abadan Refinery have stopped working and did not show up at their workplaces. This absence continues, and currently, the construction project of the second phase of Abadan Refinery is inactive and closed due to the absence of employees. The protest and work abandonment of 67 workers in Karun Petrochemical Company ended on May 2, 2023, with the replacement of contractual forces.

Fars Province:

30 workers from the quality improvement project of Shiraz Oil Refinery have left their workplaces and returned to their residences on May 2, 2023, due to low wages and salaries.

Ilam Province:

151 workers from Ilam Petrochemical Company have left their workplaces in protest to employment conditions (failure to convert unskilled workers to skilled workers, which would result in increased wages and benefits). Additionally, 781 workers from Dehloran Petrochemical Company, 737 workers from Dehloran Petro Refinery (NGL3100), 71 workers from the gas pressure reinforcement project in Dehloran, 40 workers from Cheshme Khosh operational area (Matn Company), and 10 workers from the gas pressure reinforcement project in Cheshme Khosh have left their workplaces and returned to their residences as of May 2, 2023, protesting low wages and salaries. (The trend of work abandonment has decreased compared to previous days.)

Kermanshah Province:

17 technicians from Neginsanqar Petrochemical Company (under construction) have left their workplaces and returned to their residences.

Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province:

500 workers from Gachsaran Petrochemical Company have left their workplaces and returned to their residences as of May 2, 2023, due to low wages and salaries. (The trend of work abandonment has decreased compared to previous days.)

Considerations:

The majority of protesting workers in the mentioned provinces are employed in projects and plans that have not yet reached the production stage, and there has been no disruption in the country’s energy production process.
The actions taken by the government and security officials in Bushehr and Khuzestan, such as setting deadlines for the return of protesting workers, publishing job advertisements for ten thousand workers in the Pars Energy Special Zone (Asaluyeh), etc., have been effective in the process of workers returning to work.
By establishing the Information Monitoring Committee for Labor Protests in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries, actions have been taken, such as identifying social media pages, channels and groups as well as the driving force behind the protests and admins. More than 30 individuals have been identified, briefed, and dealt with, utilizing their capacities to implement reverse psychological operations.
The demands of protesting workers to increase wages from 27% (approved by the Labor Council) to 79% are illegal and should not be accepted or be subjected to negotiations with representatives of the protesting workers. The following actions are suggested to be implemented:
Briefing the CEOs of ongoing oil, gas, and petrochemical projects regarding the necessity of holding explanatory sessions for protesting workers, especially their representatives, to manage protest movements and explain the appropriate measures taken to support workers’ livelihoods in the past two years by the government.
Preventing the conversion of non-security issues (trade union gatherings) into security issues by employers or contractors to evade legal responsibilities towards workers.
Providing a few days’ opportunity for workers who have left their jobs, and in case of non-compliance, taking decisive action against instigating workers and the main leaders of protest movements, with the aim of preventing illegal demands.

Implementing a plan to replace the workers who have left their jobs with new workers through job announcements and using work-ready workers from other provinces (changing the current labor structure).
Implementing and monitoring certain trade union demands such as the 20-10 plan, improving working conditions, workshops,and rest camps by project managers in the oil and gas industry, considering the promises made by the honorable President during his recent visit to Asaluyeh and meeting with workers employed in development projects in the oil and gas industry.

 

Iranian Dissidents Reveal Ministry of Intelligence’s Extensive Surveillance of Protests in Oil & Gas Sectormois letter protests doc4
Number: 19091
Date: 12 May 2023
Time: 11:00
Classification: Highly Confidential
Urgency: Very Urgent

 

Vice Presidential Office
Deputy for Cultural and Social Affairs

Mr. Oji, Honorable Minister of Oil
Mr. Bahramnia, Honorable Governor of Ilam
Mr. Mohammadizadeh, Honorable Governor of Bushehr
Mr. Hosseini Mehrab, Honorable Governor of Khuzestan
Mr. Imaniyeh, Honorable Governor of Fars
Mr. Sahraei, Honorable Governor of Kermanshah
Mr. Ahmadzadeh, Honorable Governor of Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad

Greetings and respect,

With reference to the directive of the Honorable Vice President on the letter number 77/693855 dated May 4, 2023, addressed to the Deputy Minister of Intelligence, containing a report from the Intelligence and Economic Security Department and the Anti-Corruption efforts of that ministry regarding the “Situation of labor protests in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries,” I kindly request that you give orders for the necessary measures to be taken urgently. Please review the subject matter and take necessary actions in line with the proposed suggestions in the report. Also, kindly send a report on the actions taken and the results of those actions to this organization for the information of the Honorable Vice President.

Hamed Malekzadeh

Transcript:

Mr. Mortazavi, Honorable Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, for information and necessary action.
Mr. Mohammadkhani, Honorable Chief of Staff of the Vice President’s Office, for information.

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