Minister of Labor Optimistic About 'Breakthrough' in Next Year's Wages; Labor Activist: Government is on the Side of Employers

On Thursday, December 14, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare expressed hope for 'breakthroughs' regarding workers' wages, stating that it remains to be seen what figures will be proposed and approved in the negotiations of the Supreme Labor Council. However, Foad Kikhisravi, a board member of the Free Workers Union of Iran, told VOA that the government is effectively aligned with employers through its policies. According to Hamshahri Online, Minister Solat Mortazavi stated that 'the Minister of Labor does not determine the minimum wage' and added, 'We are a string of prayer beads that brings together representatives of the government, the labor community, and the employer community to a common point.' He refrained from giving a clear answer regarding the potential wage figure for workers in the year 1403 (2024), stating, 'This is a tripartite issue; it is fundamentally about negotiations and bargaining.' According to two clauses of Article 41 of the Labor Law, the minimum monthly wage for workers must be determined based on the inflation rate and the cost of living for a working-class household. Independent labor activists and organizations have repeatedly emphasized that the Supreme Labor Council has ignored the clause related to the cost of living in its resolutions. Currently, the minimum monthly wage for workers subject to the Labor Law, who are married and have children, is about 8 million tomans, while the wages for workers not covered by the Labor Law are significantly lower than the Supreme Labor Council's resolution. In this context, independent labor organizations and retirees have repeatedly pointed out that the cost of living in Iranian cities, according to some members of parliament, ranges between 20 million and 30 million tomans, and have called for wage increases for all workers. However, the government is seeking an 18% increase in civil servants' salaries, and media predictions suggest that, given the government's claim of a decreasing inflation trend, workers' wages for the coming year will increase by this amount or possibly 20%. Meanwhile, Somayeh Golpour, head of the Supreme Council of Labor Associations in Iran, recognized by the Islamic Republic, stated on December 1 to the Tasnim news agency that 'even a 30% wage increase is still lower than the inflation rate and does not meet people's expenses.' Foad Kikhisravi: The Government is on the Side of Employers. Foad Kikhisravi, a board member of the Free Workers Union of Iran, emphasized in an interview with VOA that 'for years we have seen that the minimum wage set for workers has always been several times below the poverty line and less than living costs.' He added, 'In fact, the Supreme Labor Council and its wage committee have never implemented even the existing Labor Law.' He explained the functioning of the Supreme Labor Council, stating, 'This council consists of 10 main members; the Minister of Labor as the head of the council, two representatives proposed by the Minister of Labor and approved by the cabinet, the head of the National Standards Organization, three representatives of employers, and three individuals designated as representatives of workers.' Mr. Kikhisravi added, 'Even if the representatives of workers and employers were real and independent, the presence of four individuals from the government has distorted the balance.' This labor activist pointed out, 'In previous years, we saw that once three members associated with workers in the Supreme Labor Council did not vote for the proposed figure due to factional conflicts within the government, after which a fourth member was introduced by the government into the Supreme Labor Council, which meant that even if the three worker representatives did not vote for the proposed figure, it was still possible to obtain the necessary seven votes for the wage figure's approval without them.' This board member of the Free Workers Union of Iran further added, 'In countries where workers' wages are approved through a tripartite method, governments claim to play a mediating role. However, in Iran, given the directive nature of the resolutions and the fact that the government is the largest and primary employer and owner of major industries, its policies and efforts are genuinely aligned with the interests of employers.' Foad Kikhisravi added, 'On the other hand, individuals who are present in this council as representatives of workers are high-ranking members of government-recognized labor organizations who have been appointed by the government to advance its policies under the guise of representing workers.' He stated, 'Given these points, it must be said that we do not have a phenomenon called tripartism in Iran in practice, and this is merely a significant deception by the government against workers.'