Workers' Unsuccessful Efforts to Adjust Wages; Iranian Media Cites Turkey's Government Actions as Examples

Iranian media has reported on the unsuccessful attempts of some worker representatives to "adjust wages" and increase salaries for the second time this year, comparing it to actions taken in other countries. According to the ILNA news agency, 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 such measures. The report states that workers have been "demanding wage adjustments based on inflation mid-year" for the past two or three years; however, this demand has "never" been met, even this year when the wage increase was set at "half of the official inflation rate in Esfand." Solat Mortazavi, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, stated on June 7 that, "We have not promised to reconsider the Supreme Labor Council's resolution if inflation rises or falls." Ali Khodaei, a labor member of the Supreme Labor Council, noted that during "wage negotiations," government officials made a "verbal promise" to adjust wages if inflation was not controlled; however, they not only failed to fulfill this promise but also ignored a formal letter from three labor members of the Supreme Labor Council requesting an official meeting, instead responding to the media with a "reply statement." The secretariat of the Supreme Labor Council, affiliated with the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare of Ebrahim Raisi's government, on June 24, implicitly responded to the formal letter from labor members of this council regarding "wage adjustment" by publicly announcing its opposition to increasing the minimum wage for workers covered by labor law. According to ILNA, the "increase in workers' wages" is not an unusual event for the second time, as in neighboring Turkey, workers' wages were "adjusted twice in three months, totaling 64 percent." Meanwhile, over the course of a year, due to rising inflation and the depreciation of the lira - Turkey's national currency - workers' wages in that country have been "increased three times, by at least 100 percent." On the other hand, Reza Masoudifar, Deputy of the Administrative Justice Court of the Islamic Republic, announced on June 29 that after reviewing "complaints against the Supreme Labor Council's resolution" regarding the minimum wage for workers in the specialized board of the Administrative Justice Court, "the complaint was rejected." While the minimum wage increase for workers for the year 1402 was set by the Islamic Republic government at "27 percent," recent statistics show that inflation rates for many items, especially food, have exceeded 60 percent. The Supreme Labor Council's opposition to increasing the minimum wage for workers is reported by Rouzbeh Boulaheri. The Minister of Labor's opposition to increasing workers' wages is explained by Rouzbeh Boulaheri. The Administrative Justice Court's opposition to increasing workers' wages. The livelihood crisis; a family with two earners still below the poverty line of 30 million. The secretariat of the Supreme Labor Council's opposition to increasing workers' wages: inflation has decreased. Labor protests against the seventh plan; Reza Shahabi: they unveiled "modern slavery." Government discrimination in the "command economy"; a labor activist: female workers are deprived of "remote work." The Minister of Labor's opposition to wage increases: I did not promise.