About 5,000 Miners In Strike In Iran

Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 21



By Umid Niayesh - Trend:



About 5,000 iron ore mine workers in Iran's central Yazd Province continue their strike which was started on Aug. 19.



The workers of Bafq iron ore mine went on strike, protesting the arrest of two miners by police, Iran's ILNA news agency reported Aug. 21.



The arrested miners, Amir Hossein Kargaran and Ali Sabri are reportedly accused of organizing a 40-day strike which started on May 18 in protest of the privatization of the mine.



They were arrested after their employer filed a formal complaint with the police. No further details have been released on the issue.



Police failed to arrest the other 16 miners that the employer filed a complaint against.



Reportedly 71.5 percent of the stocks of the Bafq mine have been allocated to the Khuzestan Steel Company Retirement Fund and the company was expected to become owner of the remaining 28.5 percent.



The striking workers demanded that the remaining stocks to be given to their cooperative.



Finally the strike ended on June 25 after the administration promised that the miners' demand would be fulfilled.