Political-Executive Committee of the Left Party of Iran
During the past week, after refutation of the increase in the price of subsidized bread by the interior minister of the regime, the news of its 40% increase, which started in Mashhad, was first confirmed by some provincial officials and then by Khandoozi, the regime's minister of economy. The range of official price increase of subsidized bread has been extended to 15 provinces so far, and soon will spread to other provinces as well.
The increase in the official price of bread was done while the government refused to increase the wages and salaries of workers and government employees to the extent of the official inflation rate at the beginning of the year under the pretext that it intends to reduce prices and inflation. The 40% increase in the price of bread, which is the main food item for tens of millions of citizens below the poverty line, is twice the increase in wages at the beginning of this year. The high price of bread will definitely lead to further increase in food prices and will make most people's kitchen tables emptier than before. Even before the increase in the price of bread, poor and low-income people situation reached the point of buying bread on credit, by installments and half bread. Before the increase in the price of bread, the price of other food items such as rice, dairy products, meat, chicken, egg and sugar has increased and along with the staggering cost of housing, medicine, etc., it has increased so much that millions of people cannot afford buying many food items and have been pushed below the absolute poverty line.
The attack on the empty kitchen tables of the people takes place in a situation where widespread livelihood protests against high prices and inflation are going on all over the country to raise wages and confront the regime's repression policy, and simultaneously with these protests, the struggle of the revolutionary movement "Women, Life, Freedom" continues in various forms to bring down the corrupt and repressive regime.
The left party of Iran considers the main reason for the increase in the price of bread and other public necessities of the people to be the corrupt regime of the Islamic Republic, its policies and destructive actions. By increasing the prices, the regime makes the people's kitchen tables emptier in order to finance the staggering costs of its repression apparatus by stealing from the people's livelihood. Suppressing women’s fights against the mandatory hijab is a small example of this reactionary and anti-people policy. Emphasizing our opposition to the increase in the price of bread and other goods needed by the people and spending it to suppress the revolutionary movement of the people, we support the protests against the increase in the price of bread and to create a balance between wages and purchasing power with expenses, especially the protests of the workers and all wage earners and retirees and call on them to continue and expand the protests, unity and solidarity.
Political-Executive Committee of the Left Party of Iran
August 10, 2023
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