The Fight to Increase the Minimum Wage Presses On

Iran Labor Report

The article 41 of the Iranian Labor Law stipulates that each year, the minimum wage should be set according to the rate of inflation in the country and the cost of living for a family of four. The “government Minimum Wage Designation Committee” has begun work on setting the rate for the coming Iranian year starting in March.

On October 27, the coordinators of the forty thousand workers petition submitted a letter to the new labor minister Ali Rabii. In their letter the coordinators, enumerating the difficulties facing the working class, wrote: “the long list of the excruciating conditions of living of the millions of working families noted is much longer than that can be included in this letter. However, as you, the Minister of Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare are undoubtedly and clearly aware, of all these issues we, should emphasize that this letter is not a letter on the suffering of us workers to you. It is rather the protest cry of millions of workers across the country against the minimum wage, layoffs, wage theft, non fulfillment of implementation of article 10 on rebuilding the industries, non fulfillment of the construction workers’ unemployment and social security benefits and our vehement opposition to the Mentor/Apprentice scheme and the possible administration attempt to introduce anti-labor amendments to the labor and social security laws. Therefore, we expect you to be certain that directing the workers demands through giving hip name to the word “labor” and shelving the electoral promises of the president on increasing the minimum wage will only intensify protests by us workers against the current excruciating conditions.”

The organizers finished their letter by stating: “we urgently ask you, as a first step and as an immediate action, to call the meeting of the High Council on Labor for the purpose of increasing the minimum wage and the full and prefect implementation of the article 41 of the Labor Law.” The coordinators also asked for necessary measures to implement the other demands raised in their letters.

Davoud Razavi of Tehran Vahed Bus Workers Syndicate talking with the site “Ettehad” of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, said: “The lack of attention by the Ministry of Labor to workers’ demands shows that not only the Ministry does not recognize any of the existing independent labor organizations and independent labor action but also does not have any recognition for the freedom to independent workers organization and it is essentially continuing the same policy of Mentor/Apprenticeship [devised during the administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad] and it only recognizes those organizations that operate along the same lines as the Ministry. It is also clear for us workers that these organizations have nothing to do with our demands and aspirations.”

On the role of the High Council on Labor on the setting of the Minimum wage, Razavi said: “The High Council on Labor is a stooge of the Ministry of Labor. Therefore, despite their claim to being trilateral, I believe that is a big lie. The High Council on Labor is totally following the policies of the state and the Ministry of Labor. Thus, in this lawlessness, only and only the interests of the state and employers are followed and the party that is supposed to be answerable is the very same one which has trampled the law. Thus taking a complain against the judge to that same judge is futile unless it is through the workers and public opinion’s pressure.”

On the difficulties workers are facing in their day to day life, Razavi said: “the difference between the cost of living and the Minimum wage is not at all on par with the existing realities. The minimum cost of living presently is about more than 2 million tomans per month while the worker receives 500 thousands and this divide can never be filled with working 12 hours per day or reducing the consumption.”
Razavi concluded by saying “in case the current approach by the Ministry of Labor on the Minimum wage continues, without a doubt Iranian workers will not stand still and for sure we will witness wide spread labor protests to the existing condition.”