Iran’s regime is using threats, arrests and pay rises to silence workers
In any case, Iranians are too poor to strike
Calls for a general strike are all over Iranian social media. It is a nod to history. When oil workers went on strike in October 1978, Iranian oil output fell by two-thirds and the shah’s regime struggled to pay its bills. Subsequent general strikes brought the country to a standstill. The next year the monarchy was overthrown.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Too poor to strike”
Middle East & Africa December 3rd 2022
From the December 3rd 2022 edition
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