Iran’s Workers on International Workers’ Day 2025: A Struggle Beyond Survival

In many parts of the world, International Workers’ Day is a time to honor the vital role of labor in shaping economic, social, and industrial development. Yet in Iran, this occasion has become less a celebration and more a somber reminder of the plight of a forgotten and oppressed working class. In 2025, the stark reality confronting Iranian workers is not just a matter of hardship—it is a descent into conditions that can only be described as unbearable.

Wages That Do Not Sustain Life

While the Iranian regime claims to have raised workers’ wages in 2025, these announcements are widely viewed as political theater rather than sincere attempts to improve livelihoods. Any nominal wage increase has been swiftly overtaken by soaring inflation and relentless price hikes on basic necessities. The result? Workers today are worse off than they were in 2024. Official figures reveal a yawning gap—between 10 to 15 million tomans—between actual wages and the real cost of living. In practice, the average monthly salary now covers barely two weeks of expenses.

How can a worker preoccupied with daily survival be expected to contribute meaningfully to productivity, innovation, or national development?

A Crisis Rooted in Basic Needs

One of the clearest signs of the collapse in living standards is the deepening housing crisis. In major cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan, rent prices have skyrocketed, making decent shelter a luxury many workers can no longer afford. In some urban areas, a small apartment costs more to rent than a worker earns in a month. The crushing weight of rent, loan repayments, food, and healthcare expenses has left millions of working-class families on the brink of collapse.

Government initiatives, such as the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development’s plan to purchase 75,000 housing units, may seem promising on the surface. But when measured against the needs of millions of workers, such figures are negligible. Labor activists rightly point out that these programs often remain theoretical—hampered by structural inefficiency and a chronic lack of political will.

A Labor System in Name Only

Iran’s labor policy framework is fundamentally flawed. Though the regime claims to adhere to the tripartite model—where government, employers, and workers all participate in labor decision-making—in reality, workers are marginalized. According to the executive secretary of the Khorasan Razavi Workers’ House, the Supreme Labor Council has become a vehicle to protect the shared interests of the government and employers, eroding workers’ bargaining power.

Critical issues such as the return of the Welfare Bank to the Social Security Organization, and the government’s overdue financial obligations to this institution, are persistently ignored. This negligence has brought Iran’s social welfare system to the edge of collapse, leaving both workers and retirees without the security and healthcare they deserve.

Can a system that denies its workers dignity and protection still be called a “labor system”? Or is it, in fact, an anti-labor apparatus?

International Commitments, Domestic Violations

While Iran is nominally a signatory to several International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions, its actual labor practices often violate the most basic international standards. Fundamental rights—including freedom of association, the right to strike, job security, fair wages, and comprehensive insurance—are routinely undermined. Union activity is not only discouraged, but frequently met with surveillance, intimidation, or outright repression.

In stark contrast to many developed economies—where wage increases are tools for stimulating domestic demand and growth—Iran’s austerity-driven policies disproportionately burden the country’s most vulnerable. The growing class divide, systemic poverty, and feelings of injustice are fueling widespread discontent.

From Symbolism to Struggle

Labor Week in Iran, once potentially a platform for engagement and reform, has been reduced to a hollow ritual. In today’s climate, turning International Workers’ Day into a day of protest, rights advocacy, and alignment with broader social movements is not only legitimate—it is essential.

Calls for fundamental labor reform have echoed for decades, yet they remain unheeded. Cosmetic plans and empty slogans have failed to address the crisis. What Iran needs are serious policy changes: genuine labor law reform, revitalization of social security funds, wage realignment with inflation, and a national housing strategy. But the current regime has repeatedly shown that it is both unwilling and incapable of enacting even the most basic reforms.

A Warning to the Nation

The crisis facing Iran’s workers is not just a labor issue—it is a signal of deeper economic and societal decay. A nation that neglects those who build and sustain its economy cannot hope for true progress. The ruling elite, complicit in systemic exploitation, must understand that Iran’s future depends on its working class—those who turn the wheels of industry and service every day, yet are denied the basics of a dignified life.

Genuine support for workers is measured by policy, not propaganda. And if meaningful change continues to be denied, those who have nothing left to lose may ultimately lead the charge for justice.