What Happened to the Promised Wage Increase for Workers?

The fate of the workers' wage adjustment in the second half of the year remains unclear. Although the Supreme Labor Council was due to decide on revising wages before the end of Mehr, there is still no sign of the council convening.

Reviewing workers' wages in the second half of the year was one of the issues that, according to officials, was supposed to be on the Supreme Labor Council's agenda by the end of September, but as this month has passed and the end of Mehr is approaching, there is still no news of a meeting to decide on wage restoration.

In the first session of September, the Supreme Labor Council paid attention to the issue of wage revision and the formation of a wage committee, and after that, in the 345th session of the Council, which was held on September 28, the situation of workers' wages and livelihood was reviewed, but this meeting ended without a decision on the increase or restoration of wages.

At the end of the meeting on 28 September, it was decided that the issue of wage restoration and review of the living conditions of the workers will be discussed and assigned again in another meeting before the end of Mehr, but as we enter the second half of Mehr, no specific date has been announced for the next meeting. Earlier, the labor representatives of the Supreme Labor Council announced that the invitation was not sent and the time of the next meeting was not clear. Considering the importance of the issue, the question is raised by the labor community whether the government has a serious decision and the necessary ability to restore the low wages of workers in relation to the current inflation of the country.

Asad Salehi, a member of the Supreme Labor Council, while stressing the necessity of determining the task of workers' wages, stated: According to the agreement reached during the wage determination of 1405, it was planned to re-examine the wages situation in September, but despite the passing of this deadline, a meeting has not yet been held to make a final decision in this regard. The implementation of the approvals should be the basis of the performance of the responsible institutions. It is expected that the Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare, in line with its responsibilities, will provide the basis for the meeting of the Supreme Labor Council as soon as possible.

Salehi said: The postponement of this issue, in a situation where the livelihood of working families is facing economic pressures, increases concerns about the fate of the wage revision. The cost of living has multiplied and the decrease in purchasing power of workers is worrying. The salary set at the beginning of the year, due to the changes in the cost of living and inflationary pressure, no longer meets a significant part of the livelihood needs of the workers, and its revision can be effective in improving the income status of this group.

Referring to the positions of the labor and employer representatives regarding the need to review wages, the workers' representative in the Supreme Labor Council explained: There is a necessary ground for holding a meeting and re-proposing the issue of wages by both labor and employer groups, and now it is expected that the government representatives will take action to advance this process according to the existing conditions.

Decisions about wages should be made with the participation of all three sides of the Supreme Labor Council, and observing the principle of tripartism and providing the possibility of a joint dialogue between government representatives, workers and employers can help to more closely examine the economic conditions and the livelihood of the workforce.

In the end, this member of the Supreme Labor Council, referring to the previous statements of the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare about the possibility of salary revision throughout the year, demanded to determine the time of the council meeting in the remaining days of Mehr. It is expected that by holding a meeting this week, the basis for re-examination of the salary will be provided so that the issue that is waiting for a decision from September will not be more undecided. In general, the working community has not played a role in the rising inflation rate and the increase in costs, and this community demands that the authorities pay attention to the livelihood of this large part of the society.