(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) Mehdi Khalaji - In addition to the political crisis, Ahmadinejad's economic policies seem to have generated discontent. Many factories have gone bankrupt and shut down, and many laborers have not been paid for months or were fired without benefits. Recently, laborers, drivers, and other workers in a variety of industries either went on strike or protested against their working conditions. Many of these workers were fired or arrested; Mansour Osanloo, head of the Tehran Bus Drivers Syndicate, is still in prison. The writer is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute.
2010-02-16 08:34:09Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive