A teacher holds up a sign that reads: 'I am a teacher, I have come to teach my students that rights are worth fighting for'.
A teacher holds up a sign that reads: 'I am a teacher, I have come to teach my students that rights are worth fighting for'.
A teacher holds up a sign that reads: 'I am a teacher, I have come to teach my students that rights are worth fighting for'.
A teacher holds up a sign that reads: 'I am a teacher, I have come to teach my students that rights are worth fighting for'.

Iran protests turn violent as teachers go on strike for better wages


Leila Gharagozlou
  • English
  • Arabic

Teachers across Iran went on strike, seeking higher wages, better working conditions, an end to the discrimination of minorities, and the release of their activist colleagues.

The protests turned violent on Sunday after police attacked and arrested a number of the teachers and activists leaders.

The Coordinating Council of Iranian Cultural Associations, the union organising the protests, announced that Rasoul Badaghi, a teacher union activist, was arrested at his home.

Footage from social media showed teachers in Tehran standing before parliament chanting “Shameless” at the police for their brutality against their own people.

Other social media videos from major cities like Shiraz showed teachers saying, “teachers stand up, end discrimination”.

Teachers' wages in Iran have long been a point of contention, with protests taking place on and off since at least 2012.

Back in 2018, IRNA, Iran's semi-official news agency, reported that teachers' salaries were between 4 million and 13 million rials, which would put the minimum salary at around $100 a month, according to the unofficial exchange rate.

In 2012, the Rouhani government passed new laws for teacher salaries.

It passed a bill - the 80 per cent ranking plan - to ensure teachers would get at least 80 per cent of the wages that faculty members get, equalising salaries.

This plan was never properly enacted.

Three years later, teacher salaries were meant to be increased by between 20 per cent and 27 per cent.

However, the pressures of US sanctions as well as long-term government mismanagement and Covid-19 led to a skyrocketing inflation rate.

Since then, not only have salaries not kept up but many teachers have not been paid in months.

Meanwhile, according to Iran's statistics agency, the cost of living in Iran has increased by 30 per cent, meaning most teachers are struggling to make ends meet and are living below the poverty line.

A month ago, the Iranian parliament failed to vote on a bill that would adjust the salaries of teachers. Instead, the bill was sent back to the education commission to be revised.

According to Alireza Sefidan a member of Iran's education commission, the bill would rank teachers' salaries based on education level and quality of work. The unpassed bill would allot teachers an extra 30 million rials per month and teachers with a master’s degree an additional 70 million rials.

The new round of teacher strikes comes just a few weeks after protests across Iran over dire water shortages.

Iran's relatively new hardline government is thus far facing a number of domestic hurdles largely caused by its deteriorating economic situation.

The government is also trying to come to a deal with the US and the EU to lift sanctions and alleviate some of the country's economic problems.

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Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Royal wedding inspired menu

Ginger, citrus and orange blossom iced tea

Avocado ranch dip with crudites

Cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese mini club sandwiches

Elderflower and lemon syllabub meringue

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Schedule for Asia Cup

Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)

Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)

Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)

Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four

Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai) 

Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)

Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)

Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)

Sept 28: Final (Dubai)

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Everton%20Fixtures
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Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

W.
Wael Kfoury
(Rotana)

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SNAPSHOT

While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.

The%20specs%3A%20Panamera%20Turbo%20E-Hybrid
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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:

Ajax 2-3 Tottenham

Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate

Final: June 1, Madrid

Company profile

Company name: Nestrom

Started: 2017

Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi

Based: Jordan

Sector: Technology

Initial investment: Close to $100,000

Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin

Director: Shawn Levy

Rating: 3/5

Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars

Museum of the Future in numbers
  •  78 metres is the height of the museum
  •  30,000 square metres is its total area
  •  17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
  •  14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
  •  1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior 
  •  7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
  •  2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
  •  100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
  •  Dh145 is the price of a ticket
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
Spider-Man: No Way Home

Director: Jon Watts

Stars: Tom Holland, Zendaya, Jacob Batalon 

Rating:*****

SHAITTAN
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The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.4-litre%20V8%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E470bhp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E637Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDh375%2C900%20(estimate)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest

Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.

Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.

Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.

Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.

Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.

Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia

Company%20profile
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Hot%20Seat
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
INDIA'S%20TOP%20INFLUENCERS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Updated: December 14, 2021, 7:05 AM`