Migration Hits Workers; 'There is Work, but No Workers'

The harsh economic conditions in the country and the imbalance between income and expenses have disrupted the cycle of work and economic activities, to the extent that the Secretary of the Supreme Council of Labor Associations has stated, 'There is work, but no workers.' A labor representative from the Supreme Labor Council has reported the migration of workers. The Secretary of the Supreme Council of Labor Associations says that these days, workers are looking for ideal jobs in terms of income and are not willing to work under specific regulations, which is why production lines in factories need workers but cannot find them. According to Hadi Aboui, due to low wages, the workforce 'is not inclined to work; employers have repeatedly requested labor, but the workforce does not accept.' Aboui emphasized that 'the livelihood of workers must be viewed realistically,' stating, 'The reality of society is that the cost of a worker's living basket is about 15 to 16 million tomans.' From the perspective of this labor activist, in such conditions, when such income is not seen for a worker in a job, the worker is forced to constantly seek a job that offers better income. A representative of workers in the Supreme Labor Council also states that wage suppression has caused some workers to migrate. Ayat Asadi's comments reflect the widespread issue of low wages in the Iranian economy, which has led to worker migration. Asadi emphasized that 'the suppression of workers' wages' has caused some skilled workers to leave their jobs or engage in false jobs, and some have migrated to neighboring countries such as Iraq, Qatar, Oman, or even Afghanistan, and currently, employers are facing a shortage of skilled labor. A labor representative in the Supreme Labor Council also reported the request from labor representatives to hold a Supreme Labor Council meeting to review the minimum wage. Regarding how much the minimum wage covers the living basket this year, Asadi stated that the minimum wage, when approved, could cover about half of the living basket, but now due to inflation and the devaluation of currency, this figure has decreased to about a quarter. Labor organizations have protested the increase in wages since the beginning of this year, leading to a lawsuit against the government in the Administrative Justice Court. However, this lawsuit was rejected by the court, and the judge stated that all legal principles were observed in determining wages and that the workers' objections have no legal basis. The ILNA news agency, in response to this ruling, wrote that despite the fact that 'Article 41' of the Islamic Republic's Labor Law 'imposes no restrictions' on wage adjustments 'mid-year,' government officials have opposed it. According to this news agency, workers have 'demanded wage adjustments based on inflation mid-year' in the last two or three years; however, this demand has 'never' been met, even this year when the wage increase was approved at 'half of the official inflation rate in Esfand.' Solat Mortazavi, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of the Islamic Republic, stated on June 7 that 'We have not promised that if inflation increases or decreases, we will reconsider the Supreme Labor Council's resolution.' Ali Khodaei, a labor member of the Supreme Labor Council, stated that during the 'wage negotiations,' government officials made a 'verbal promise' that if inflation is not controlled, they would adjust wages; he says: not only did they not fulfill this promise, but they also ignored a formal letter from three labor members of the Supreme Labor Council requesting a formal meeting and instead issued a 'response' to the media! The Secretariat of the Supreme Labor Council, belonging to the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of Ebrahim Raisi's government, also publicly announced its opposition to increasing the minimum wage for workers subject to labor law on June 24 in response to a formal letter from labor members of this council for 'wage adjustment.' The unprecedented rise in food prices over the past two years has made the people's table 'smaller and smaller.' The Ministry of Labor of the Islamic Republic: 57% of the Iranian population suffers from malnutrition. The publication of the Administrative Justice Court ruling in favor of the government, rejecting workers' complaints against wage resolutions. Efforts to 'Islamize the economy'; formation of working groups in various fields, following cooperation between the seminary and the Ministry of Economy. The unsuccessful efforts of workers to adjust wages; Iranian media cite Turkey's government actions as an example. A warning from a 'reformist' party about collapse; the economy is on the brink of crisis.