Wage Equalization for Retirees in Iran; An Unfulfilled Promise

Hadi Aboui, secretary of the supreme council of workers’ trade unions, has requested that the parliamentary budget reconciliation committee pay special attention to the deficit in the resources of the Social Security Organization, wage equalization for retirees, and payment of government debts to the Social Security Organization during the review of the 1401 budget bills.

Rasoul Farrokhi Mikal, secretary of the parliament’s domestic affairs and councils commission, told Tasnim: “In government institutions we face two types of discrimination: discrimination within the same institution, meaning employees of one institution doing similar work receive different salaries, and discrimination among executive bodies, meaning salaries of employees with identical conditions, positions, and educational qualifications differ.”

Regarding retirees, Article 30 of the sixth development plan stipulates that the government is obligated to pay retirees 90 percent of the average salary of employees so that the salaries of retirees from previous years match those of newly retired individuals. Also, according to Article 98 of the country’s employment law, the government is obligated to adjust the salaries of retirees proportionally with employee salary increases, and it is the government’s responsibility to increase the salaries of both retirees and employees in line with living costs.

In the case of teachers, however, the problem is not just the wage equalization plan. Ten years ago, a teacher ranking plan was presented to parliament aimed at promoting the social dignity and professional standing of human resources. In this plan, based on four ranks including teacher trainer, teacher assistant professor, teacher associate professor, and teacher professor, it was defined so that a teacher with any level of experience would receive at least 80 percent of the salary equivalent to their counterpart rank in universities.

However, Youssef Nouri, the Minister of Education, on the sidelines of the National Research Day ceremony on December 20 this year, said: “There are ambiguities regarding teacher ranking. I consider this plan to be wage equalization rather than ranking, because for ranking there must be a document to work from. Its effect on the quality of education should be seen.”

Moslem Salehi, a parliamentary representative, had previously said in an open parliament session on December 15: “I request that the government submit a comprehensive bill on wage equalization for employees to parliament as soon as possible. Because employees in various sectors of the country face livelihood problems, and by submitting this bill to parliament, some of their problems can be resolved.”

• Poverty Line as the Basis for Wage Increases

According to Mohammad Ali Pour, a member of the parliament’s economic commission, the government intends to increase salaries incrementally, ranging from zero to 20 percent.

Also, based on the minimum wage in 1400, which is approximately 3 million and 500 thousand tomans, and a growth of one million tomans in next year’s budget, it is set to increase to 4 million and 500 thousand tomans. Additionally, the salary ceiling for managers and university professors has been set at 27 million tomans.

Dariush Abouhamzeh, deputy labor minister, recently announced the poverty line at 4 million tomans and in Tehran 4 million and 500 thousand to 5 million tomans. This is while Morteza Bakhtiari, head of the relief committee, had said in 1399 that the poverty line in Iran is 10 million tomans.

In this regard, Behrouz Mohebbinamabad, a parliamentary representative, said: “It is true that a 10 percent increase in salaries was seen in the 1401 budget, but parliament and the government should have a solution for salaries below the poverty line.”

Ehsan Arkani, a member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, had also said in an open parliament session: “With reference to 40 percent inflation next year and the elimination of preferential currency, a 3 percent increase plus 530 thousand tomans next year for government employees is unjust.”

• Continuing Protests

Retirees’ gatherings in various parts of Iran have been continuing in protest of low salaries and pensions.

Their demands include complete implementation of wage equalization, approval of bills to make teacher ranking permanent, full implementation of the public management services law, and increasing pensions commensurate with living costs and actual inflation.

Abolqasem Raoufiyan, secretary general of the Islamic Party of Iran, has stated that the salaries received by more than 90 percent of retirees are below the poverty line.

Teachers have also repeatedly gathered in front of provincial education offices in response to government’s failure to implement the teacher ranking and wage equalization bills, as well as in protest of arrests and harsh security measures by security forces.

Source: Voice of America