Nurses Rally in Mashhad Amid Threats
On Saturday, August 17, 2024, Iranian nurses at Imam Reza Hospital in Mashhad, a major city in northeastern Iran, gathered in the hospital’s courtyard to voice their grievances. Chanting slogans such as “Inflation is in dollars, our salaries are in rials,” they protested against the harsh economic conditions and low wages that have plagued their profession.
Despite threats of repercussions the night before, Iranian nurses stood firm.
Rather than addressing their demands, the Iranian regime dispatched security forces to the site, further intensifying the standoff. The nurses declared that their strike and protests would persist until their demands were met.
Protests Erupt Across Iran
The wave of nurses’ protests began on August 2, 2024, in the cities of Shiraz and Karaj.
In Karaj, nurses went on strike at Kowsar, Imam Ali, and Shariati hospitals. Meanwhile, in Shiraz, nurses from nine hospitals joined the strike. The movement quickly spread to other cities, including Darab in Fars province, Noorabad Mamasani, Tangan in Bushehr province, Kermanshah, Fasa, Jahrom, Mazandaran, Eslamabad-e Gharb, Abadeh in Shiraz, Lamerd in Fars, Tabriz, Zanjan, Arak, Yazd, Mashhad, and Yasuj.
Voices of Dissent
During these protest gatherings, nurses chanted various slogans reflecting their frustrations and demands: “Enough with promises, our baskets are empty.”
“Where are our tariffs? In your pockets.”
“Nurses, unite, unite.”
“Nurse, shout out, cry out for your rights.”
“Inflation is in dollars, our salaries are in rials.”
“Without nurses, the hospital is closed.”
“We don’t want your 20 Toman charity.”
“Incompetent official, resign, resign.”
“We fought coronavirus, we saw no support.”
Intimidation and Retaliation
On August 11, the regime’s newspaper, Hammihan, reported that 90% of Iranian nurses in Shiraz hospitals had stopped working. Instead of hospital managers addressing their concerns, security agencies and head nurses threatened them with dismissal, file creation, and summonses.
Mohammad Sharifi Moghaddam, Secretary of the House of Nurses, highlighted the ongoing pressure nurses face from the Ministry of Health due to protests about their working conditions, including incomplete implementation of the tariff law and mandatory overtime. (The state-run Sharq daily, August 15, 2024)
Annually, 12,000 nursing students graduate, but only a fraction is employed in Iran, with many leaving for better opportunities in Europe, America, and the Persian Gulf countries.
Economic Struggles and Calls for Fair Pay
A recent report by the Strategic Studies Center of the Iranian Presidency revealed that 73% of doctors and nurses view the impact of inflation on their desire to emigrate as “very high.” Moghaddam also emphasized the stark pay disparity, noting that some doctors earn up to one billion tomans through performance-based pay, while nurses must survive on monthly salaries of 13 to 15 million tomans ($249 to $288). He argued that nurses should be earning three times their current wages.
Iranian nurses, pushed to their limits by mandatory overtime, difficult working conditions, and low salaries, have resorted to strikes across various cities. Nurses, interns, and other medical staff, who tirelessly care for their fellow citizens, are raising their voices in protest against the ruling clerical regime, joining other workers in the fight for justice and fair treatment.
The ongoing protests by Iranian nurses underscore the dire conditions faced by healthcare workers in the country. Despite threats and repression, their resolve to demand better wages and working conditions remains unshaken. As the Iranian regime continues to ignore their pleas, the nurses’ struggle represents a broader call for systemic change and justice in Iran.
