Increased Protests Over Pensioners' Situation; Media: Necessity to Maintain 'Legal Coefficient' at Retirement

As protests against the approval of the retirement age increase in the Islamic Consultative Assembly, some media outlets have raised concerns about numerous deficiencies in this sector, such as the calculation of the 'legal coefficient at retirement.' The newspaper 'Jomhouri Islami,' published in Tehran and close to the traditional clerical faction in power in Iran, stated in its issue on Wednesday, December 8: 'For several years, retired workers have been shouting that the adjustment of pensions for social security retirees has its own specific formula.' This media outlet, which is funded by public assets, further wrote: 'It is not possible to treat retired workers the same way as those who are retired from military and governmental sectors based on regulations.' In recent decades, determining the amount and coefficient of retirement benefits for workers, government employees, and military personnel has been a contentious issue, leading to numerous peaceful protests, arrests of some protesters, and sentencing of certain activists in this field. In the case of military and governmental retirees, the perspective is based on 'today's equivalent in that job,' but the situation for workers is different. Two individuals with the same degree, title, and year of employment 'work differently, receive unequal salaries, and pay different insurance premiums.' Therefore, some experts believe that the 'coefficient of payment during the insurance period' should also be the criterion for 'pension payments'; dividing pensions into 'minimum receivers and other levels' and setting different percentages for these two groups is also not 'fair compensation.' The newspaper concluded: 'Everyone should receive a salary according to the insurance they have had; the basis for determining the pension amount is the insurance amount.' On November 28, members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly approved an article in the 'Seventh Development Plan' bill stating that 'to reduce the imbalance of pension funds' and strengthen the funds' ability to fulfill their assigned duties, 'from two to five months' will be added to the employment years of insured individuals 'for each year.' The Free Union of Iranian Workers also strongly criticized the government's bill to increase the retirement age in a statement issued on December 2, calling it an action for 'exploiting the corpses of workers and wage earners.' Foad Kikhisravi, a member of the board of directors of the Free Union of Iranian Workers, also stated in an interview with VOA that one of the results of such an action would be 'intensifying the unemployment crisis.' The slogan 'Six-class government, enough promises' was heard at the gathering of retirees in Yazd. Other slogans included 'Hussein Hussein, their slogan, lies and theft are their work' from telecommunications retirees in Shiraz, 'What happened to you, profitable company?' from telecommunications retirees in Kermanshah, and 'The right of the people is more obligatory than prayer' from telecommunications retirees in Zanjan. Protests by governmental retirees occurred in seven cities in Iran, and petrochemical workers in Gachsaran also gathered. Protests by telecommunications retirees were reported in several cities in Iran: 'We only heard promises, we saw no justice.'