Protest Gathering of Dozens of Workers Against 'Ministry of Health's Encroachment on Social Security Resources'

Dozens of 'representatives of workers from across Iran' gathered in front of the Ministry of Health building in protest against what they called the 'encroachment of the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education on the resources of the Social Security Organization.' According to ILNA news agency, during this gathering held on Social Security Day, July 16, it was stated that withdrawals from the reserves of this workers' fund have put it at 'risk of bankruptcy.' According to the report, Fathollah Bayat, Secretary of the Workers' House of East Tehran, pointed out that based on clause 'Z' of the seventh note of the current year's budget law, the health rights of the Social Security Organization are deposited into the Treasury. He said, 'Social Security is a right of the people, and no one has the right to deprive them of their rights without the consent of the insured.' He also referred to what he called 'lobbying by members of parliament and some ministers in parliament and the endorsement of this clause by the Guardian Council,' adding that these actions have 'resulted in the violation of workers' rights.' The approval of this clause, which was proposed by the government of Hassan Rouhani in the 2018 budget bill, was passed by the parliament and the Guardian Council last year, despite numerous protests from labor organizations, and even Ali Rabiei, the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, opposed it. According to clause 'Z', the Social Security Organization is obliged to concentrate all health shares from the total insurance deductions related to articles 28 and 29 of the Social Security Law in an account at the Treasury under the title of Social Security Organization's health insurance so that this organization can spend these resources according to the Social Security Law. According to the state news agency IRNA, the government and some members of parliament say this action is taken to increase financial transparency in social security, but workers and some experts have expressed concern about the consequences of such a law. Labor organizations believe that the 9% share of workers' social health is intended for the health insurance plan, which has been described as a failure by some Iranian media reports. According to ILNA, the Secretary of the Workers' House of East Tehran criticized the health transformation plan, stating that this plan has seriously harmed social security and violated the rights of workers, retirees, and all insured individuals. He urged Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, to 'leave Social Security alone' and added, 'Malicious actors are trying to encroach on the organization's assets.' Hossein Habibi, Secretary of the Coordination Council of Islamic Labor Councils, also stated: 'It has come to the point that in the last decade of the revolution, the Ministry of Health has received permission from the parliament to encroach on Social Security resources.' He introduced the Minister of Health as 'one of the main destroyers of workers' health care' and said, 'The Minister of Health has removed 70 to 120 types of medications that the vulnerable working community needs from the insurance list.' Akbar Shokat, Secretary of the Workers' House of Qom, announced at this gathering that workers and retirees are experiencing the worst existing conditions, adding, 'They not only see their health resources as lost but also endure inflation rates of 50% and 60%.' He also said, 'In addition to not paying its 140 trillion tomans debt to the Social Security Organization, the government has combined the health transformation plan with the Social Security Organization.' Mr. Shokat pointed out that members of parliament are reviewing a plan that would prevent the penalties imposed on the government's debt to the Social Security Organization from being paid, stating that they also want to reduce this 140 trillion tomans debt to one-third. Ali Khodaei, a member of the Supreme Labor Council, referred to the approval of clause 'Z' of the seventh note of the 2018 budget law, considering it 'the first betrayal of social security,' in a government that 'claimed to create hope and support for groups like us.' Mr. Khodaei also mentioned that a new plan is being reviewed in parliament that he described as seeking to eliminate article 41 of the Social Security Law. Article 41 states: 'In cases where the type of work requires it, the organization can determine the ratio of wages to the total work done based on the proposal of the board of directors and the approval of the Supreme Council of the organization and demand and collect the corresponding insurance premium accordingly.' According to ILNA, Ali Khodaei added: 'If this law is repealed, the insurance premium that the Social Security Organization collected from contractors will disappear.' This member of the Supreme Labor Council said: 'This plan has been brought to parliament under the pretext of the leader's slogans supporting production and Iranian goods. In fact, they have misrepresented his words; they have named the support of a few capitalists as a plan.' According to ILNA, in a resolution issued at the end of the gathering in front of the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, it was stated that 'a lack of real understanding of the current situation by the parliament, government, and policymakers in the social field has led the organization to resort to borrowing at high bank rates to fulfill its obligations, which is the most dangerous situation that can be imagined for the Social Security Organization.' The protesters criticized that 'governments and parliaments after the revolution have also closed their ears and shut their eyes,' adding: 'The presentation of plans in various parliaments that have increased the organization’s burdens and reduced its resources indicates that some are deliberately on the path to halting the activities of this organization.' The resolution also included demands such as 'preventing and avoiding any action that reduces the organization's resources and increases its costs.' They called for the preservation of article 41 of the Social Security Organization Law, serious changes in the management of the health transformation plan, significant changes in the Ministry of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education, the implementation of the law for equalizing the rights of pensioners, offsetting the government's annual debt to the Social Security Organization with this organization's debt to the tax organization and the Ministry of Health and Treatment and other executive agencies, full implementation of clause 'H' of the seventh article of the comprehensive system structure law, and preventing the depreciation of the national currency and compensating for its destructive effects, which were reflected in the resolution on Tuesday.