During his interview with ILAN (Islamic
Republic’s Labor News Agency) on June 9, 2013, at a time when he was asking for
peoples’ vote as a presidential candidate, while emphasizing on the 40 percent
inflation rate and the 25 percent increase in the 2013 wages, Rouhani stated,
“The 15 percent difference between the inflation rate and workers’ wages has
created some difficulties for this dear class….. If I am elected as President,
according to the law, I will increase workers’ wages on the basis of the
inflation rate.” According to the Article 41 of the Iranian Labor Law, workers’
minimum wage must be determined according to the inflation rate and the worker
family’s monthly expenses. The inflation rate announced by the Iranian Central
Bank and the Center for Statistics on March 13, 2014, respectively were, “33.5
and 36.5” percent; in spite of that, according to Rabieih, the Minister of Labor,
on March 13, 2014, “With a complete consensus and total vote of the labor and
management organizations’ members and observers”, the Grand Labor Council
approved the 2014 minimum wage with a 25 percent increase of the base salary.
According to ILAN’s March 11, 2014 report, “A worker family’s poverty-line
monthly expenses” was “1800000 Tomans ($1 is approximately 3000 Tomans)”;
therefore, the workers’ current 608900 Tomans monthly salary is approximately
one-third of the poverty line.
In March 2013, some of the
independent and official labor organizations submitted a written complaint to
the Office of Administrative Justice concerning the 2013 minimum-wage Act.
According to ILAN’s June 8, 2014 report, “All three major (official) labor
organizations ….which were creators of the 2013 wage, or supported it”, kept
quiet; “even one of the three organizations….clearly stated that the workers’
complaint against the 2013 wage will not have a positive outcome; because,
workers’ legal representatives had signed that Act.” According to the same
report, on May 26, 2013, Jafar Montazery, President of the Office of Administrative
Justice indicated, “Even if the inflation had increased by 30 percent, we must
see if the managers would be able to pay the salaries with the 30 percent
increase or not.” Based on Rouhani’s June 2013 promise of increasing wages on
the basis of the 40 percent inflation rate, on September 2, 2013, in a letter
to Rouhani, Tehran Province Islamic Labor Councils’ Center wrote: “We are
expecting you as President, to fulfill your pre-election promise of restoring
workers’ wages.” Obviously, as we all know it, not only regarding the 2013
wages, but also concerning the 2014 wages, Rouhani’s promise happened to be simply
an empty promise. On April 8, 2014, in the meeting reviewing the complaint
against the 2013 wage, Zarify-Azad, representing the Ministry of Labor stated, “Salary
increases are neither in the interest of the country; nor in the Labor Law there
is a mention of workers’ salary increases as much as the inflation rate.” Also,
according to the Mehr News Agency, on April 26, 2014 Rabieih indicated, “The
wages will be as they are and they will not change.”
After passing of more than a year
since the workers’ complaint against the 2013 wage Act, on April 29, 2014, Montazery,
President of the Office of Administrative Justice stated, “Next week, as a gift
to workers, review of their case will be on the agenda.” But on May 6, 2014,
with contradictory remarks similar to those of Montazery’s May 26, 2013
remarks, Nabiolah Karamy, Deputy President for the Office of Administrative
Justice’s Commission on Labor Experts indicated, “The Office of the Administrative
Justice judges on the basis of law only…..it is not concerned with
suitability….the 2013 wage…..will be reviewed with 90 judges present”; however,
before the 90 judges’ review and ruling, as a follow up, Karamy himself added,
“If workers’ salary increases, payment of such increased salaries in small
production plants will not be possible; or more workers will possibly lose
their jobs.” Finally, on May 12, 2014, Ali Akbar Bachtiary, President of the
presidential field of the Office of Administrative Justice told Mehr News
Agency, “Workers’ complaint against the determination of the 2013 wages was
reviewed in the Labor Experts’ Council of the Office of Administrative Justice
and the Experts’ Council denied it.” On June 7, 2014, Ali Akbar Bachtiary
stated, “In ratifying the 2013 wage Act, inflation rate announced by the
official sources was considered; therefore, the 2013 wage Act is legal”; and
finally on June 9, the Office of Administrative Justice’s Deputy President
Karamy, did not see an impediment preventing a complaint against the 2014 wages;
but he advised that this time workers pursue their demands with “newer reasons
and stronger logics.” Regarding the workers’ complaint against the 2013 wage
Act to the Parliament’s Principle 90 Commission, on June 19, 2013, with total
arrogance, President of the Office of Administrative Justice stated, “Workers’
complaint against the Office of Administrative Justice to the Parliament’s
Principle 90 Commission will not get them anywhere; if they complain to God,
they might attain a better result.”
We believe explaining several points
concerning the complaint against the 2013 wage Act is necessary.
- By delaying review of the workers’ complaint, the Office of Administrative Justice (call it injustice) authorities hoped that the workers will get tired and just forget the issue.
- Once again, as usual, the outcome of the Office of Administrative Justice’s “judgment” is completely against the workers’ demand and class interests; however, it is completely aligned with the interests of the capitalist government, big capital and the parasitic capitalism.
- Considering the contradictory, but similar remarks of the Office of Administrative Justice authorities, soon following the workers’ complaint against the 2013 wage Act, the result of the judgment was clearly known.
- Similarity of the Office of Administrative Justice authorities’ “reasoning”s, indicated that those “reasoning”s were prepared in specific “Think tanks”.
- From the Office of Administrative Justice authorities’ point of view, simply “considering the inflation rate”, not determining wages according to the inflation rate, is sufficient; this is a form of considering workers as fools, and it reflects a state of mind which sees no reason to explain their action. In other words, since they have the power, they do not consider themselves accountable.
- The Islamic Republic authorities consider the “review” of the workers’ complaint, not as a responsibility, but some sort of “gift” to the workers. Once again, since they have the power, they do not consider themselves accountable.
- Finally, Montazery’s advice to the workers to complain to God, is a clear reflection of his state of mind: since he is in power, he does not consider himself accountable.
An unceasing struggle for
restoration of the labor-union rights and establishment of independent and
consistent labor unions, are the only way of ending this tyranny and
oppression, and attaining workers’ class interests.
United Workers Everything
Isolated Workers Nothing
