On May 10, 2014, during his visit with Mrs. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Director of the International Labor Standards of the International Labor Organization (ILO), while emphasizing on “My Ministry’s name is Social Justice”, Ali Rabieih, Islamic Republic’s Minister of Labor, made many claims, where several of those claims and their accuracy are discussed below.
May 10th, 2014, Mehr News Agency: http://www.mehrnews.com/detail/News/2288806
During his visit with Mrs. Doumbia-Henry, Rabieih said, “My Ministry’s name is Social Justice…..I have one slogan, Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare is a facilitating, supporting and gardener Ministry. At this Ministry, I have completely prohibited interference..... This year labor and management organizations sat around a table, and regarding the wages, they accomplished something which was exceptional in this Ministry’s history; in harmony, all workers and managers approved this year’s wages...... Struggle against class division through the use of cooperatives...... is also a part of this Ministry’s programs.”
Summary of a report and accuracy of the Islamic Republic’s not interfering in workers’ organization
May 6, 2014, ILNA (Islamic Republic’s Labor News Agency)
Between April 29th and May 1, 2014, Islamic Republic’s police and security agencies detained tens of independent labor and union activists and sent them to prisons. Rabieih, Minister of Labor and a leading member of the Workers’ House, had banned workers’ May Day demonstration and rally.
Accuracy of the Minister of Labor’s claim regarding the workers’ wages
May 6, 2014, ILNA: http://www.ilna.ir/news/news.cfm?id=165799
While according to ILNA’s March 11, 2014 report, poverty line in Iran is “1800000 Tomans (one dollar is approximately 3000 Tomans); with the agreement of the Worker House’s labor organizations and with the government’s support, according to ILAN’s March 14, 2014 report, the Grand Labor Council ratified 608900 Tomans as 2014 monthly salary. In a joint statement on the occasion of the May Day, with a “harsh opposition to the 2014 minimum-wage”, four independent labor organizations “demanded a modification of that act and determination of the minimum-wage based on the article 41 of the Labor-Law and on the basis of a worker family’s monthly expenses.”
During March 2013, several labor organizations which included independent labor organizations as well, filed a law suit against the 2013 wages at the Islamic Republic’s “Office of the Administrative Justice.” According to the Mehr News Agency’s April 30, 2014 report, Mohammad Jafar Montazery, President of the Office of the Administrative Justice announced, “As a gift to the workers, next week we will consider their case (complaint against the 2013 wages)”. Regarding the workers’ complaint against the 2013 wages, speaking to ILANA on May 6, 2014, Nabiolah Karamy, Vice-President of the Office of the Administrative Justice’s Labor and Social Welfare Specialty Commission indicated, “Office of the Administrative Justice rules on the basis of law only….. After experts’ consideration of the workers’ complaint against the 2013 wages, the case will be returned to the Office of the Administrative Justice’s Labor and Social Welfare Specialty Commission…… and will be considered at the public arena of the General Council of the Office and in presence of 90 judges.” However, on the same day and before the 90 judges ruling, Karamy added, “If workers’ wages is increased, in small plants payment of those wages will not be possible; therefore, there is a chance that more workers will lose their jobs.” Finally, on May 12, 2014, Ali Akbar Bakhtiarry, President of the management section of the Office of the Administrative Justice told Mehr News Agency, “Workers’ complaint against the determination of the 2013 wages was considered at the Specialty Council of the Office of the Administrative Justice and the Council denied it.”
Summary of a report and accuracy of the “struggle against class division through the use of cooperatives”
May 5th 2014, ILNA: http://www.ilna.ir/news/news.cfm?id=165194
Some of the workers of the Kermanshah rural cooperative companies have signed a petition describing their uncertain work condition…..The petition indicates, “Thirty-five full-time workers of the rural Kermanshah cooperative companies, because of the cooperatives’ grave conditions, which started after denial of the past responsibilities and ending distribution of the voucher goods in the country, have not received their salaries for 28 months…. Since 1965, employees of this cooperative have served the rural population of Kermanshah .” While confirming the critical state of this cooperative, Ebrahim Dast-Sang, Managing Director of the Kermanshah rural cooperative revealed that the workers’ unpaid back salaries are 30 months; and indicated, “…. Because of the Managing Council’s request, this cooperative is supposed to be announced dissolved in a maximum of one week.”
