Recent developments regarding the determination of Iran’s minimum wage signal yet another instance of the regime’s exploitation of the country’s impoverished workforce.
Approaching the final weeks of the year in accordance with the Persian calendar, discussions surrounding the minimum wage for workers ignite passionate debate.
Despite ongoing labor protests underscoring the urgent need for change in their dire circumstances, it appears that little progress is being made.
The recent gathering of the Supreme Labor Council on February 19, 2024, with representatives from labor, employers, and the government, yielded no tangible outcomes.
Instead of addressing critical issues such as the wage committee’s report, the meeting veered off track, focusing on peripheral matters like amending regulations for dispute resolution boards.
This diversionary tactic only served to further frustrate labor activists and workers already grappling with the uncertainty of wage adjustments.
The failure to address the wage committee’s report and the subsequent delay in determining wages has exacerbated concerns among labor advocates. There is growing apprehension that wages will not keep pace with the official inflation rate, especially evident in the Council’s inclination to prioritize ancillary issues over essential wage considerations.
Notably, the livelihood basket, a crucial factor in wage determination, remains unresolved, leaving workers in limbo. The absence of decisive action echoes past patterns, where deadlines for wage announcements were routinely postponed, perpetuating financial instability for workers.
Meanwhile, the estimated minimal livelihood basket hovers around 24 million tomans, yet this crucial matter remains unaddressed by the Supreme Labor Council.
Mohsen Bagheri, representing workers in the Council, squarely blamed the Ministry of Labor for the impasse, citing similar disruptions in the past that led to meager wage increases well below the official inflation rate.
Recent leaks suggesting the regime’s reluctance to authorize wage increases exceeding 20% further compound workers’ anxieties. Moreover, the proposal for regional wage disparities has drawn strong rebuke from labor representatives, citing potential social and economic ramifications, including exacerbated urban migration and strain on social security systems.
Critics like Arman Khaleghi attribute the government’s resistance to wage hikes to its adverse impact on the production sector. However, they assert that employers generally support proportional increases aligned with inflation, placing the government as the primary obstacle.
Proponents of maintaining wage stagnation often cite concerns over increased production costs and unemployment. Yet, such arguments fail to acknowledge broader systemic issues or provide substantive answers to pertinent questions regarding unemployment rates and production costs.
In stark contrast to constitutional mandates aligning wage increases with inflation, recent revelations of exorbitant salaries for certain government officials have only fueled public outrage, highlighting glaring disparities within Iranian society.
