We condemn the government's wage policy and support the workers' struggle to raise wages!

We condemn the government's wage policy and support the workers' struggle to raise wages!

After a long and difficult negotiation over the increasing workers’ wages,the supreme council of labor of Iran, finally made the decision of a 21% increase (from 1.2 million toman to 1.8 million toman). All approvals of the supreme council of labor must be approved by agreement of all three constituent elements of the council. This year’s wage increase was approved with delay and only by the government and the employer’s representatives, without the positive vote from the worker’s representatives. This decision was clearly taken in violation of article 41 of the labor law.

The 21% increase in wages was obtained in a situation where official inflation is over 42% and the household expenditure basket is between 7 to 8 million toman. Article 41 of the labor law states that the increase in wages should not be less than inflation and without considering the cost of household expenditure. In other words, the decision of the supreme council of labor is against the labor law of the Islamic Republic of Iran and does not have legal validity.

With this small increase, which is only half of the official inflation rate, and while the wages of most workers and retired pensions covers only quarter of the cost of living standards, the condition for workers and retired people will be more difficult and unbearable in the current year. That is the reason that even the representatives of the state workers have refused to sign this act and, after the publication of the wage rate a wave of protests by workers,workers organisations and other justice seekers have started against it.

The senior economic managers of Rouhani’s government are trying to maintain and impose wage freeze policies, which are the basis of adjustment and neoliberal policies and have been pursuing them for years. To achieve a real increase in wages and to get rid of poverty and other deprivations imposed on workers by capitalists and pro-capitalist governments, requires the organisation of the working class independent unions and the solidarity and unity of the workers’ organisations.

The Left Party of Iran strongly condemns the policy of imposing wages below the poverty line on workers and retirees. They strongly support the workers’ protests against the disproportionately increased rate of wages to inflation. We call on equality and justice seekers, political parties and organisations, peoples and workers institutions and forces, to support the workers and retirees to surpass the poverty line and achieve wages in line with real living costs.

Political - Executive Board of the Left Party of Iran (People’s Fadaian)

The 11th of April 2020