Partial Payment of Overdue Wages to Haft Tappeh Workers
Protests by workers of Haft Tappeh Agro-Industrial Company have finally forced officials to pay part of their overdue wages. Detailed information about the timing of the wage payments and other demands of the company’s workers has not yet been released.
The news of wage payment to Haft Tappeh Agro-Industrial Company workers comes at a time when unrest and protests by workers of this company, Ahvaz Steel Factory, and strikes by teachers and other workers have intensified. Two weeks ago, as a result of intensified labor protests, one month’s wages were paid to the workers.
Now news agencies are reporting the payment of two months of overdue wages to this company’s workers. It should be noted that workers of this company have not received wages for seven months.
Mohammad Shariatmadari, Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare of the Rouhani government, met and held talks with representatives of striking workers at the Ministry of Cooperatives on Thursday, December 6 (December 15 in the Persian calendar). Meanwhile, Ismail Bakhshi, representative of the striking workers, remains in prison.
Alireza Mahjoub, parliament representative and secretary-general of the House of Labor, Hatem Shakermi, deputy of labor relations at the Ministry of Cooperatives, and several other ministry officials attended this meeting. The purpose of holding this session was announced to be addressing the problems of workers at this company.
Farsi News Agency, on the evening of Wednesday, December 5 (December 14 in the Persian calendar), reported through a video report about the payment of overdue wages to workers of Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane Agro-Industrial Company. Workers happily announced to the camera that they had received their overdue wages.
However, detailed information has not yet been released about whether the payment of overdue wages covers all workers or not. Additionally, no reports have been published regarding other demands of this company’s workers and the fate of arrested workers.
Converting Social Issues into Security Issues
Mohammad Shariatmadari, Minister of Cooperatives, Labor and Social Welfare of the Islamic Republic, said in his remarks that anyone who “stands against the preservation of existing employment is not one of us.” However, he did not clearly state who those are who stand against the preservation of employment.
The Islamic Republic’s minister of cooperatives and labor also announced that social issues should not be converted into security issues. In this regard, he did not provide further explanation about who and with what intentions are turning social issues, including workers’ strikes to receive overdue wages, into a security matter.
Mohammad Shariatmadari said: “Some seek to disturb the peace, which results in worker unemployment, and we do not want this to happen; rather, we want to handle these matters while fully preserving peace.”
Based on official statements by officials of the Islamic Republic, including the labor minister, wage payments to Haft Tappeh Agro-Industrial Company workers have been delayed by seven months. This very issue prompted the strike by workers of this company. While demanding payment of their overdue wages, workers also demanded the implementation of job classification plans and the transfer of company ownership to the state sector and the establishment of council-based management of the company.
Additionally, the release of Ismail Bakhshi, the imprisoned representative of Haft Tappeh workers, and Sepideh Qolian, a civil activist, were among the demands of the union of this company’s workers.
Meanwhile, Karim Yavari, head of employment support and unemployment insurance, had claimed that Ismail Bakhshi’s case is a security matter and is not the responsibility of the labor ministry to address.
Source: DW
