Labor Activists Urge Government to Approve Latifi's Dismissal

ILNA news agency reported that labor activists are calling for the government's approval of the dismissal of Meysam Latifi, the head of the Administrative and Recruitment Organization of the country. In the report, a labor activist referred to Latifi as the 'biggest obstacle to the realization of the organizational restructuring plan' supported by the government, stating, 'We workers are pleased with the judiciary's serious approach to this issue and support this ruling.' According to Ehsan Sohrabi, the Administrative Justice Court's ruling is significant because the judiciary has set aside 'courtesy and expediency.' This labor activist pointed out Latifi's opposition to the government employee restructuring plan, saying, 'Many workers are waiting for Mr. Latifi's dismissal, and we do not understand why the government insists on keeping him.' The government employee restructuring plan is important for workers because its approval would limit the activities of contractors who have taken over jobs since the 1990s as part of structural adjustment policies aimed at downsizing the government, allowing workers in these institutions to change their status and directly contract with their main organization. Iranian media reported on July 8 that the Administrative Justice Court announced its ruling to 'nullify' Latifi's appointment. According to the Mizan news agency, affiliated with the judiciary, this nullification followed a review of a complaint requesting the annulment of Latifi's appointment. Ali Mozafari, the head of the Administrative Justice Court, explained that after receiving a response from the legal deputy of the president and preparing a report by the case judge, the government's representatives' defenses were heard in a session on May 13, 2023, and ultimately, the majority opinion of the specialized administrative and recruitment board of the Administrative Justice Court concluded that this appointment was contrary to Article 47 of the Civil Service Management Law. The basis for the complaint against Latifi's appointment was its contradiction with Article 47 of the Civil Service Management Law, which prohibits employing employees from private companies and institutions to perform all or part of the duties and powers of organizational positions of executive agencies 'under any title.' However, on July 17, Shargh reported that Latifi stated regarding the annulment of his appointment by the Administrative Justice Court that 'the issue is being reviewed through legal channels.' According to Latifi, 'This issue has no legal problems and will be resolved.' Following attacks from government-supporting media and the Iran newspaper against the judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the head of the judiciary, ordered on July 24 the application of 'Article 91 of the Law on the Organization and Procedure of the Administrative Justice Court' regarding a renewed review to reconsider the annulment of this ruling. Mohseni Ejei ordered a re-examination of the Administrative Justice Court's ruling regarding the 'nullification of the appointment' of the vice president. The Guardian Council's version for the dispute over the 'nullification of the appointment' of the vice president includes 'inquiry' from the parliament. The sidelines of the annulment of the vice president's appointment include 'government anger' and the 'explanation' and defense of the head of the Administrative Justice Court. The vice president stated that the Administrative Justice Court does not have the authority to annul the appointment of the head of the Administrative and Recruitment Organization.