Why Did They «Agree on Figures» but It Wasn't Approved? / Untold Details of the Six-Hour Extraordinary Session of the Supreme Labor Council on Raising Workers' Wages

Khodaei describes workers' livelihood conditions as disgraceful and says the purchasing power of wages has returned to where it stood at the end of the Iranian year 1391 (2012–2013), a period when, by his account, wages covered only about 28 percent of living costs.

According to Ambassador Arjan, while the increase in the exchange rate and the increase in the cost of living have once again turned the issue of workers' wages into one of the serious demands of the labor community, the negotiations, which, according to the workers' representative, had progressed to the stage of agreeing on the figures and preparing the draft resolution, have not yet reached a conclusion. Ali Khodayi, a member of the Supreme Labor Council, in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, while criticizing the performance of the government and parliament in following up on workers' livelihood demands, emphasized that the increase in costs in October invalidates the previous agreements and now wage negotiations should be resumed taking into account the new conditions.

Criticizing the suspension of wage increase negotiations and the non-holding of an extraordinary meeting of the Supreme Labor Council, this labor activist said: the purchasing power of workers has returned to the level of 2013; According to him, a situation that, due to the reduction of the economic tolerance of the society, puts a heavier pressure on working families.

While the increase in the exchange rate and the growth in the cost of living have once again turned the issue of restoring workers' wages into one of the serious demands of the labor community, the negotiations which, according to the workers' representative, had progressed to the stage of agreeing on the figures and preparing the proposal for approval, have not yet reached a conclusion. In a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, Khodayi criticizes what he calls the intervention of the Ministry of Labor in the decision-making process of the Supreme Labor Council and the suspension of the council's approvals, and says that the Minister of Labor cannot veto the council's approvals.

Wage negotiations had progressed to the agreement stage

Referring to the process of wage negotiations in the past months, Khodayi says that the wage review was put on the agenda at the August session of the Supreme Labor Council at the insistence of labor representatives, and the wage committee also started its activities. According to him, in the meeting of 28th of Shahrivar month, negotiations were held for about six hours about the salary and even suggestions were made, and finally, the parties reached an agreement on the figures.

Stating that at that time the recent price jumps had not yet happened, he explains: "Approximately some numbers had been agreed upon, and it can even be said that a decree was prepared to some extent." The employer's team also accepted the offers.

A member of the Supreme Labor Council, pointing out that the Minister of Labor was not present at that meeting, emphasizes that the council's approvals are related to the entire meeting and its members, not a specific person. The main disagreement between labor representatives in those negotiations, he said, was whether the wage increase should be applied to base pay or to benefits.

Disagreement over basic salary; What share do retirees have?

Khodaei says that his insistence on increasing the basic wage was not limited to the situation of the workers, but the effects of this decision on the pensions of retirees were also important.

He explains that an increase in the basic wage also has an effect on the calculation of social security retirees' pensions, while an increase in some benefits, such as the right to housing and unemployment benefits, does not necessarily have such an effect on retirees' pensions.

This labor activist, in response to the criticisms that workers' representatives are separate from the pursuit of retirees' issues, says that when the decisions of the Supreme Labor Council affect the lives of retirees, pursuing their interests is part of the responsibility of the labor representative.

He also accuses Social Security of pursuing its own financial interests in the negotiations, saying, "Social Security wanted to get revenue through wage increases, but not pay. I think this organization was acting without being a member of the Council.

So far, the letter of holding a meeting of the Supreme Labor Council has not been received.

A member of the Supreme Labor Council says that after the parties came close to an agreement, it was decided that the members would not discuss the details and the matter would be followed up to coordinate with the government. He adds that at the end of the same meeting, he warned that if the resolution is not announced, the demands may change in the following weeks.

According to Khodayi, the labor representatives were waiting for a meeting until last week and followed up on the issue from the Ministry of Labor, but so far no letter has been received to hold a meeting of the Supreme Labor Council.

"I just know the wages are low and should be raised," he says. I've done my own bargaining and I'm trying in the meeting, but I don't want to upset the minds of the working class. "The government and the Ministry of Labor and the minister himself stopped the process of increasing wages."

Khodayi emphasizes that due to the change in economic conditions, previous agreements can no longer be used as a basis for decision-making.

Referring to the increase in the dollar rate from about 190 thousand tomans to 263 thousand tomans, he says that this change will inevitably increase household expenses, although at the time of this interview, he did not have new official information to accurately calculate the effects of this increase.

The living conditions of the workers are awful

A member of the Supreme Labor Council describes the living conditions of workers as "awful" and says that the purchasing power of wages has returned to the conditions at the end of 2011; A period when, according to him, workers' wages covered only about 28% of living expenses.

Of course, he emphasizes that the mere comparison of figures is not enough to explain today's situation, because the economic capacity of society in the current situation is much lower than it was then.

Criticizing the exaggeration of the results of the year-end wage decree, Khodayi says that even if that decree had not been implemented, the reality of the cost of living at the bottom of society shows that workers are facing heavy pressure. According to him, the increase in prices in recent weeks has made it more necessary to revise the salary.

request for an extraordinary meeting; Workers must follow up

The member of the Supreme Labor Council says that the labor team will request an extraordinary meeting and will continue the follow-up. However, he emphasizes that the realization of this demand is not limited only to the representatives present in the Council and other activists and labor organizations should also take action to force the government to negotiate.

He believes that the suspension of negotiations occurred in a situation where the cost of living has increased rapidly and any delay in decision-making will put more pressure on working families.

In the end, about the criticisms of his silence in recent weeks, Khodayi explains that his reticence does not mean retreating from the demands of the workers. He says: "Our language has not slowed down in follow-ups; In the meeting and conversation with the government, my language is sharper than ever. But my diagnosis is that in war conditions, as long as there is no need for field support, we should not involve the society in these discussions and not increase the cost of disturbing the spirit and soul of the working class."

In this way, on the one hand, the representative of the workers in the Supreme Labor Council emphasizes the necessity of revising the wages in accordance with the new economic conditions, and on the other hand, the time of holding a meeting to decide on the wage demands of the workers has not yet been announced.