Middle East Research and Information Project

Critical Coverage of the Middle East Since 1971

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Neoliberalism

Labor Organizing on the Rise Among Iranian Oil Workers
The Mahshahr petrochemical plant in Khuzestan province. Raheb Homavandi/ReutersFigure 1. The sources of the raw data for these maps are news articles published in Hrana, Akhbar-e Rooz, and Radio Zamaneh. The 2020 map covers strikes reported from August 1 to September 6, 2020, and the 20201 map covers strikes from June 19 to August 2, 2021.Figure 2. Monthly protests reported in ILNA.Figure 3. Monthly number of counties with protest reported in ILNA.
Current Analysis

Labor Organizing on the Rise Among Iranian Oil Workers

Oil workers in Iran have been striking since June 19, 2021, leading some observers to ask whether protests are becoming routine within the existing political system or are a prelude to a bigger uprising. The authors explain what makes these strikes remarkable, why Iran's neoliberal policies pushed w
Mohammad Ali Kadivar, Peyman Jafari, Mehdi Hoseini, Saber Khani • 14 min read
Tunisia’s Marginalized Redefine the Political
Protesters sit outside a tent near the entrance of the phosphate mine in Umm al-Arais, Tunisia, on February 15, 2018. Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters
MER Article

Tunisia’s Marginalized Redefine the Political

Marginalized populations in Tunisia, who have little access to economic and political resources, sparked the 2011 protests that ousted the Ben Ali regime. In the following ten years, marginalized people, especially in rural areas, have continued to push for more jobs, better services and social just
Sami Zemni • 11 min read
Tunisia’s Marginalized Redefine the Political
Protesters sit outside a tent near the entrance of the phosphate mine in Umm al-Arais, Tunisia, on February 15, 2018. Zoubeir Souissi/Reuters
Current Analysis

Tunisia’s Marginalized Redefine the Political

Marginalized populations in Tunisia, who have little access to economic and political resources, sparked the 2011 protests that ousted the Ben Ali regime. In the following ten years, marginalized people, especially in rural areas, have continued to push for more jobs, better services and social just
Sami Zemni • 11 min read