Page 17 - DMEA Week 26 2021

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

Thousands join Iranian striking workers.
POLICY media posts, Tehran’s refinery has fired 700
To progress, Nigeria must energy sector protests Tehran Oil Refining Company, denied the
Shaker Khafai, spokesman for the state-run
remove subsidy on petrol The industrial action besetting Iran’s oil, gas dismissal report and said a sub-contractor
had laid off 35 workers, the state news agency
and petrochemicals industry has involved
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, thousands of workers mounting protests to IRNA reported.
Timipre Sylva, has reiterated the need to demand better wages and working conditions, For many Iranians, the mood in the
deregulate the downstream sector through local news reports and social media posts country was also soured by the early June
market-driven pricing of products to boost indicate. The action seems mainly focused presidential election—a Guardian Council
the country’s economy. on southern gas fields and some refineries in vetting body refused to allow any leading
Sylva made this known when he featured at proximity to big cities. moderates to contest the poll, which was then
the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) forum on Iran continues to endure worsened won with a landslide by religious hardliner
Sunday in Abuja. economic hardship amid continuing US Ebrahim Raisi. The turnout, which some
“I will say that my stand on fuel subsidy sanctions and a severe, ongoing coronavirus analysis put as low as 42% when spoiled
and deregulation is well known. I strongly outbreak. There have actually been protests by ballots were taken into account, was registered
believe that for this country to move forward, workers and pensioners for several months, as the worst ever as millions of Iranians
for our economy to make the progress it with the inflation rate of more than 50% and stayed away from the polling stations in
desires, we need to have a market-driven high unemployment souring sentiment. The disillusionment or protest.
pricing of products. protests are dubbed “Campaign 1400” with BNE
“A situation where you produce something reference to the Persian calendar year that
at a certain cost and you have to sell it at a started in March.
lower cost to people because you are taking An unspecified number of workers with COMPANIES
some of that burden off the people is not the temporary hiring contracts “stayed home” to
best. press for higher wages last week in Assaluyeh, Petkim postpones
“It is a very desirable thing but it is also Iran’s main gas production hub on the Persian
not too sustainable because what happens is Gulf, the semi-official Iranian Labour News instalment in Rafineri
that you produce it for N10, you sell it for N5; Agency (ILNA) reported, noted Reuters.
tomorrow, you produce it again at N10, you There is said to be anger at the agreement
add N5 from somewhere, produce it again at consequences of replacing retiring full-
N10 and sell it for another N5. time workers in the energy industry with Petkim postponed the payment of the third
“So, the losses increase and compound on a employees hired on a temporary contract instalment of the Refinery Holding Share
daily basis and those accumulated losses have basis. After 20 years of this practice, there are, Purchase Agreement.
brought us to where we are,” he said. for example, said to be more than 150,000 Petkim announced to the Public Disclosure
According to him, people’s view that if the temporary workers in the Iranian oil industry Platform (KAP) that the payment of the third
refineries are working, importation of product who are denied the benefits that full-time, instalment of the Refinery Holding Share
will stop is not the real issue on ground. Sylva long-term contract workers enjoy. Purchase Agreement was postponed.
said that subsidy was part of the things that Some lawmakers are supportive of the “With various decisions of the Board
made the refineries to stop operating in the energy industry workers. “Since we learned of Directors of our Company, in order to
country. of the labour actions and their salary and ensure that our Company becomes an 18%
“Part of the reasons why the refineries were benefit demands... the issues are being indirect shareholder in the capital of STAR, a
not working is subsidy because a refinery that seriously followed up in [parliament’s] Energy Share Sale Agreement (HSS) of 720,000,000
is producing something at a certain cost and Commission,” Mousa Ahmadi, a lawmaker USD was signed with SOCAR Turkey; the
selling at a loss, how can it sustain itself. whose district includes Assaluyeh, told ILNA. share transfer fee was paid in three equal
PREMIUM TIMES According to rights groups and social instalments; decided to make the instalment

Week 26 01•July•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P17