Warning from Labor Council Member: If Wage Restoration Does Not Happen, We Will Take Further Steps

A labor member of the Supreme Labor Council accused the Islamic Republic government and the Ministry of Labor of 'law evasion' and stated that if 'wage restoration' is not implemented by 'the end of Tir', 'further steps' will be taken. Ali Khodaei, a labor member of the Supreme Labor Council, criticized the negative response from the Ministry of Labor to a letter from three labor members of this council regarding 'wage restoration', and mentioned that they will wait until 'the end of Tir' before taking 'further steps'. These remarks come as livelihood protests have resumed at the beginning of the year 1402 and continue to this day. In an interview with the Iranian Labor News Agency, ILNA, published on Thursday, July 15, he commented on a statement by a member of parliament who said that the poverty line in Tehran has reached 30 million tomans, stating that officials are providing 'numbers and statistics' instead of solving problems and 'are not doing anything to resolve the crisis.' On June 22, three labor members of the Supreme Labor Council requested that a council meeting be held regarding 'wage restoration'. However, not only has this meeting not yet been held, but the Ministry responded on July 23 in a statement published in the media, calling the 'inflation claimed by labor representatives' 'unrealistic' and asserting that 'the government has achieved relative success in controlling inflation', emphasizing that 'there is no plan to restore workers' wages.' Khodaei stated that this action will 'deepen the gap of distrust between workers and the government.' The next meeting of the Supreme Labor Council is scheduled to be held 'at the end of Tir', and Khodaei has said, 'We will wait until then to assert workers' wage rights, and after that, we will take further steps.' According to previous reports, the Administrative Justice Court has rejected complaints regarding the Supreme Labor Council's decision on the minimum wage for workers. Hassan Sadeghi, head of the Union of Veteran Workers, had stated in April in response to the 27% wage increase for workers that the government has given labor representatives 'the promise of an unshot deer kebab' and that 'we will raise our protests in various legal forms from this spring.'