Report on April 2019

Follow the latest labor and occupational events in Iran for April 2019 here every day. The Social Security Retirees Council issued a statement protesting the so-called 'Parametric Reforms of the Social Security Law,' deeming it against the interests of workers and retirees. The council demanded that the parliament pressure the government to pay its debt to the Social Security Organization instead of focusing on plans that lack fairness and justice and harm the vulnerable worker class. Reports indicate that the government's debt to this organization exceeds 180 trillion tomans. The council raised the question of what guarantees exist that with the increase in retirement age and service years and higher insurance premiums, the management of the organization can perform better than before and that expenditures will not exceed resources. Proponents of the 'Parametric Reforms of the Social Security Law' argue that if this plan is not approved, retirees' payments will face difficulties. In another development, 600 billion tomans of the 1500 billion tomans in overdue payments to Iranian teachers were paid. Education Minister Mohammad Bat'haei stated that these payments include a year of deferred teaching fees, exam fees, salaries for teachers abroad, and fees for service teachers. This has raised hopes among retired educators that funding will also be secured for their end-of-service bonuses. The Ministry of Education owes 4 trillion tomans to retired teachers for these bonuses. In Fasa, some sugar factory workers went on strike due to unpaid wages for one month, including their bonuses and holiday pay. The factory's public relations confirmed the wage arrears for 260 workers and stated that their holiday pay would be processed and their March wages would be paid by May 15. In Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, seven workers at a steel factory suffered burns and were hospitalized. Reports indicate that one worker's condition is critical. In the Haft Tappeh sugarcane company, one month of wages for directly contracted workers remains unpaid, along with eight months of daily wage allowances. Workers expressed their desire for the release of their detained colleague, Esmail Bakhshi, who was arrested following a complaint by the Minister of Intelligence. The recent floods have devastated many agricultural sectors and factories in Golestan province, leading to high unemployment rates. The latest reports indicate that over 3 trillion tomans in damages have been incurred, with 300,000 hectares of agricultural land destroyed. The privatization organization has put the heavy equipment manufacturing company HEPKO up for auction for the third time, amid previous failed attempts and worker protests for nationalization or worker ownership. Lastly, images of workers being made to sit on the ground during an official meeting in Hamadan sparked public outrage, reminiscent of previous incidents where workers were similarly disrespected.