January 5, 2011

ISC talks in scene with people of Tehran and Najafabad

Jan. 3, 2011
Tehran- the price of poultry meet has risen from 2700 tomans to 3200 to 3400 tomans. The reason is rise in the price of fuel. People say that in next month it will reach 4500 to 5000 tomans. On the other hand people are not able to purchase as before and the shopkeepers cannot sell what they sold. Bazaar is not in a good condition. One of the oldest shopkeepers in Tehran’s Bazaar, 70 years old, said: “It is for three months that I have sold almost nothing. I have an income of 200000 to 250000 and I cannot pay even my taxes with that. Every body is stuck in the same situation”.

Tehran- A fabric seller said that the price of fabric is going up. People say that the Petrochemical Factory has changed its line of productions and is producing gasoline instead of threads so we are having a shortage of thread and are facing its high price. Other than that people are not able to purchase as they did before. So they don’t come to buy fabric and bazaar is completely in recession.

Najafabad- A part of Najafabad’s Bazaar is in strike. A great number of old shopkeepers in Najafabad’s traditional Bazaar went on strike for a day in protest to the current situation of Bazaar and country’s economy. They gathered in front of Bazaar’s Mosque and demanded that the government express its clear position in regard with rating.

Tehran’s Municipality is dismissing its day-pay workers

Tehran, Jan. 2, 2011
Tehran’s Municipality will dismiss its day-pay and contract workers in two weeks.

Contract teachers are dismissed in Tehran

Tehran, Jan. 2, 2011
After the subsidy cuts Tehran’s Ministry of Education is dismissing 400 contract-teachers of this ministry in less than a month.

The wage for a laborer is 303000 tomans per month. Having in mind the subsidy cut you can imagine the pressure.

People under more pressure by subsidy cuts
Tehran, Jan. 3, 2011
In its editorial, Mardomsalari state-run daily admitted to the pressure on people due to subsidy cuts and wrote: “…laborers are in bad conditions…usually each year the minimum wage is specified in a council of three representatives of laborers, three managers and 6 representatives of the government. But as the government is the great manager in our country and more than 70% of the government’s budget is for the wages of laborers the government stands with the managers in the council to prevent rise in the wages…those responsible claim that there will be no price rise.”
A laborer said: “when we come out in the morning to go to work, transportation rate has increased but these gentlemen (government) say there is no rise in prices. You go shopping prices have risen 30 to 40 percent but when you watch TV they say every thing is under control.
The Poverty line in large provinces is 800000 tomans and in smaller ones 600000 tomans.

ISC members report from Iran’s cities:

Jan. 3, 2011
- Tehran- milk powder has become rare and people cannot find it even in drug stores.
- Tehran- Carpenters Bazaar is closed due to the high cost of tools, spare parts, sews and cost of electricity.
- North of Iran- people are rushing to the woods and cutting trees because they cannot pay the high price of oil and gas oil. After subsidy cuts the cost of fuel has risen120000 tomans for an average family.
- Fuel stations are not crowded any more. Each fuel station has been established on a loan of 60 million tomans and if this condition continues they will be forced to close.
- The high cost of fuel has made people to use public transportation and bus, metro and taxi stations are too crowded. Even that, due to fuel cost the taxis are not able to move around a lot and their number is not enough to suffice the number of passengers. People stay in line sometime for one hour.
- Tehran- a shoe merchant said that 97% of smuggled shoe imports from China and other countries is handled by the government particularly IRGC. This is done with a green card. The owner of the card those not pay any custom for his imports. As the result many of shoe merchants are bankrupted. The price of raw material for shoe making has tripled after subsidy cuts. Each pair of domestic shoe is 500 tomans more expensive now. The foam for shoe that was 120000 tomans before is now 170000 tomans after subsidy cuts.
- Qazvin- one of the laborers of Iran Docharkh Factory, Mr. Panbehee, who had worked for 35 years in this factory, has to sell one of his kidneys a week ago to be able to provide his living. A relative of him said: by subsidy cuts the workers are not able to even live, with a 303000 tomans of wage, house rent of 25000 tomans, bread being 400 tomans a piece how can we live. So we have no choice other than selling our kidneys to be able to provide only food for our family.
- Qazvin- bus rates from Orumieh to Qazvin has reached 19000 tomans; it was 13000 before subsidy cuts. This causes financial problems for students who must attend universities in these two cities.
- Qazvin- The number of buses between Qazvin and Zanjan are reduced from 12 to 4 because of fuel expenses.
- Tehran- A part of factories in Abbas Abad industrial city in Pakdasht are almost closed; they cannot provide the fuel needed. Amongst these factories is Metal Melting Factory. The manager of one of these production units said: “we have a ration for fuel. Though its price has risen 10 times but still we are not receiving it. To continue my job I am even ready to buy fuel 20 times in price but even that is not provided and the factory is not working any more”.
- Tehran- Bazaaries of Tehran said that there is no production of domestic stationery. Large factories such as Pegah that produced staplers, paper clips and other stationary have stopped production and are importing Chinese stationery because they cannot compete with that. Sigol Stationery Factory is also closed and they are all importing Chinese stationery.

Almost a week after Ali Saremi’s execution students and other sectors of the society are still condemning this savage act

Tehran, Jan. 2, 2011

- A group of students of Science & Industry University condemned Ali Saremi’s execution in a statement title as: “each night they drag a star down from the sky but still this sad sky is full of stars”. The statement reads in part: “the henchmen of the night think that by execution of resistance’s symbols and political prisoners they can choke our voices in our throats. But in vein, Iran’s students are aware and risen and will not keep silence in regard with this injustice. We condemn the execution of political prisoners under any excuse…”

- A group of students of Khaje Nasir University in Tehran condemned the execution in their statement: “…the dictator has committed this crime in a situation that because of subsidy cuts…he is facing vast social discontent. He thinks that by executing aware children of Iran who participate in the struggle he can stop popular protest…”

- A group of PMOI supporters in West Azerbaijan condemnd the execution of PMOI supporter Ali Saremi. In their statement they wrote: “…don’t be afraid we are all together… this month is the month of blood and the regime will be overthrown… death to dictator… death to the principle of Velayat-e-Faghieh…”

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