Workers at the Iran Tire Manufacturing Company entered their seventh day of protests today, January 26, against their lack of job security.

According to ILNA, 600 workers joined the strike in protest to the trend of continued worker lay offs. ILNA reprots that 80 contract workers were laid off yesterday and another 130 were laid off today, and many more of the company’s workers will lose their jobs in the next two months.

One thousand workers are employed by the Iran Tire Company, with 600 of those working on a contract basis. Some of the laid-off workers reportedly have worked for the company for up to 15 years.

The Iranian economy has been in sharp decline with high inflation and a national currency that has lost much of its value, and official reports indicate that the unemployment rate has reached critical levels.

Radio Zamaneh