An Iranian state news agency says workers at a factory in northern Iran have protested a decision by managers to remove heavy equipment that the workers rely upon to do their jobs.
In a Tuesday report, ILNA said managers at the Iran Poplin textile factory in Rasht removed 48 fabric-weaving machines from the site Monday. It said the machines were loaded onto trucks for transfer to Pakistan, despite some workers gathering at the factory to try to block the removal.
ILNA said the protesters had called on Iran's government to stop the overseas transfer of the machines, which the news agency said provide the "main source" of income to 300 workers in Rasht.
The reason for the removal and transfer of the textile machinery to Pakistan was not immediately clear.
The report said some of the protesting workers were shareholders in the company that runs the Poplin factory.
The Poplin workers have staged a series of protests at the site in recent months to demand payment of unpaid salaries.
This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Persian service.
