A gathering of job-seeking youths from the areas of Lishtar, Kheirabad, Dasht-Mor, and other villages of Boir Ahmad Garmasir, protesting the recruitment process in the Gachsaran refinery project (Lishtar), according to local sources, escalated to tension and clashes with the arrival of law enforcement forces. Some sources reported shootings, injuries to some protesters, and the arrest of several youths from the area.
According to local sources, the protesters demanded justice, the publication of hiring regulations, and clarification of the share of local workers in the Lishtar refinery project. Protesters say the project, which was advanced with promises of economic prosperity and youth employment in the region, has now become a focal point of dissatisfaction regarding discrimination and political influence in hiring..
In the published images and videos, the sound of gunfire and clear signs of clashes and attempts to suppress protesting youths can be seen, directly pointing the finger of blame at Tajgardoon, who critics hold responsible for the entry of law enforcement into today's protest gathering.
Local informed sources claim that lists of job applicants have been introduced by the governor's office and the office of Gholamreza Tajgardoon, the representative of Gachsaran and Basht, to the Department of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare. Critics allege that the names of some relatives of influential local figures and political figures' associates appear on these lists.
Protests that began months ago
The recent protest is not the first reaction of youths in the area to the recruitment method at the Lishtar refinery. In recent months, job-seeking youths from Boir Ahmad Garmasir have gathered several times in front of the project site and the Gachsaran governor's office, demanding an end to discrimination and transparency in the recruitment process. An ILNA news agency report on the second of Mordad also stated the main demand of the protesters as "observing justice in hiring, transparency in the recruitment process, and prioritizing local workers."
Previously, the Friday prayer leader of Gachsaran also referred to the concerns of youths about employment in this complex, asking the governor to clarify the roadmap for recruitment. At the same time, Tajgardoon's proposal that job seekers, trustees, elders, clans, the governor's office, and the representative's office submit applicants' details to the labor department faced criticism. Critics believed that the involvement of trustees, clans, and the representative's office in a process that should be based on public calls, exams, and professional qualifications could pave the way for influence and unofficial quotas.
In contrast, the governor of Gachsaran recently stated that about 70 percent of the project's workforce are from the region, and officials are trying to ensure that the youths of the county and surrounding areas have a fair share of job opportunities. This statistic, in the absence of the publication of the workforce list, a precise definition of "locality," and the differentiation of residence and expertise, has not been able to convince critics.. .
In previous gatherings, some officials explicitly told protesters that since this project was transferred to the area through Tajgardoon's lobbying, it is his right to hire his preferred staff. This is a clear example of interference and overt influence by this representative in executive matters, which was previously seen in the hiring of his campaign staff in industrial companies.
Tajgardoon must answer for his role
Now, the reports about the transformation of the gathering into a clash have once again put Tajgardoon's role in the recruitment mechanism of the Lishtar refinery at the center of questions. Some protesters claim that the entry of law enforcement forces and the confrontation with the protesters were carried out with his intervention or request.
The news of shooting at the protesters is no longer just a local dispute over a few job opportunities. In such circumstances, the governor's office, law enforcement, prosecutor's office, labor department, project management, and the parliamentary representative's office must answer for the reason for the presence of law enforcement forces, the type of equipment used, the number of injured and arrested, and the official who issued the intervention order..
The Lishtar refinery cannot become a platform for tribal competitions or the distribution of job opportunities through political connections in an area with widespread unemployment. Publishing a public call, announcing the capacity and job titles, precisely defining local selection criteria, conducting a monitorable exam, and publishing the results are the minimum actions that can restore the damaged trust of the region's youths..
