On October 22, a group of workers with Ahvaz Pipe Manufacturing Company staged a protest gathering by Ahvaz Governor s House protesting nonpayment of back wages. A number of the workers were arrested during those protests. Yet another protest gathering was held on October 29 on the same premise. The workers complained that the permanent workers had not received their back wages for the last 12 months while the contract workers had gone more than 15 months without pay. The plant is employing 450 permanent and 350 contracted workers.