In a protest against unpaid wages of several months and production stoppages the workers of Ashkan China seized the factory's machinery. A labour activist told a news agency that:
"The workers of the factory seized the machinery of the factory and then a message from the owner of the factory arrived saying he's transferring the money so we shouldn't touch the machinery! But we still haven't heard any news!
"We've contacted the judiciary but haven't received a reply from them.
"When news of the workers' seizure of the machinery reached the Central Bank, the bank sent a message saying that the machinery of the factory belongs to the Central Bank and the workers have no right to do this and must not damage the machinery.
"There are also lots of security forces milling around the factory looking to arrest workers and aiming to arrest the guys who protested. This action by the government has angered the workers even more."
This bold action by the workers of Ashkan China in Qazvin, about 160 kilometres north-west of Tehran, took place around 22 October 2008. The workers also went on strike in August 2008 demanding their unpaid wages and bonuses.
Translated by Iranian Workers' Solidarity Network