Manual labourers struggle to make ends meet in Sanandaj

SANANDAJ, Iran — Manual labourers in Iran’s Kurdish city of Sanandaj have told Rudaw of low wages and hazardous work conditions as they struggle from job to job.

“Our work is seasonal, sometimes we get 25 days of work and then we sit at home unemployed. Our pockets are empty again and we don’t have any back-up,” said Soran Mohammedi. 

The daily labour rate in Iranian Kurdistan is 130,000 to 140,000 tomans ($4.6-$5) per day, or 4,5 million tomans ($160) a month.

According to the Supreme Labour Council of Iran, the poverty line lies at almost 10 million tomans ($357) a month.

“We get work 15 days a month. The money we get a day is gone before we get back home. It doesn’t meet our needs,” added Kawa Abdullahi.

According to the Statistical Centre of Iran, inflation has increased by 41% this year.

“We work from the early morning until the evening and it isn’t enough to buy two chickens. What do we do on days when there is no work or on rainy days?” said Seyid Husseini. 

Long days of manual labour have also affected their health, and as daily workers, they are not given health insurance by their employers. 

“I am thin and weigh only 54 kilograms. I have to mix concrete cement from 30 50-kilogram sacks of cement every day. How can I carry them on my back?” said Dler Abdullah. 

Translation and video editing by Sarkawt Mohammed