MPs call for minimum wage increase

In a statement, members of parliament called on the government to increase the minimum wage to 2.8 million tomans, considering the living conditions of workers. 27 members of parliament have filed a complaint with the Minister of Labor over the violation of workers' rights.

The members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly issued a statement calling on the government to reconsider the determination of the minimum monthly wage for workers, considering the “living situation and problems of workers, social security retirees, and pensioners.” In the statement, which was read out in the parliament on Wednesday, April 15, the members called for an increase in wages and for the minimum monthly wage to be set at at least 2.8 million tomans per month.

The parliamentarians have written to the Supreme Labor Council that the problems of workers in the field of livelihood require special attention and consideration, and that "the establishment of a minimum wage and pension is commensurate with the minimum wage established in Note 12 of the 2019 budget, which is 28 million rials."

The statement states that, considering the 41 percent inflation announced by the Central Bank and the current economic problems, "no worker should receive a salary of less than two million and 800 thousand rials."

After a long delay last week (on April 10), the Supreme Labor Council meeting, which was held to determine the minimum wage for the workforce in 2020, set the minimum wage for workers in the new year at 1,835,000 Tomans without a tripartite agreement between the government, employers, and workers, which was not proportionate to the inflation rate announced by the government. The workers' representatives in this meeting, strongly criticized this issue and refused to sign the minutes in protest of the "violation of Article 41 of the Labor Law."

Article 41 of the Labor Law obliges the Supreme Labor Council to determine the minimum wage annually based on the inflation rate announced by the Central Bank and to ensure that the relevant wage provides for the livelihood of a family.

In a statement on Wednesday, parliamentarians said the amount requested as the minimum wage for workers is about one million tomans more than the amount set by the Labor Council in last week's meeting.

In the aforementioned statement, the parliamentarians demanded that the Supreme Labor Council, by revising the decision made and taking into account the inflation rate of over 40 percent announced by the Central Bank, "provide satisfaction to the hardworking workers."

MPs complain to the Minister of Labor

On Wednesday, 27 members of the Islamic Consultative Assembly filed a letter with the Minister of Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare complaining about “violation of workers’ rights in determining wages.” The text of the complaint has also been submitted to the Presidium of the Assembly.

According to Hamshahri Online, the letter of complaint from 27 members of parliament to Mohammad Shariatmadari, Minister of Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare, states: "Because Mr. Shariatmadari, the Minister of Labor, Cooperatives and Social Welfare, did not respect the rights of workers in accordance with the two paragraphs under Article 41 of the Labor Law in determining the minimum wage for workers for 2019, and implemented the law incompletely and caused concerns in the honorable labor community, we request the application of Article 234 of the Law on the Rules of Procedure of the Islamic Consultative Assembly."

Ahmad Moradi, a representative of the people of Bandar Abbas in the parliament and one of the signatories of the complaint letter against the Minister of Labor in this regard, said that the plaintiff's representatives believe that if workers' rights are not properly respected, a large segment of society will suffer and more attention should be paid to their minimum wages.

Moradi said that the Labor Faction of the Parliament is protesting this issue and will pursue workers' rights through the faction's channel. He continued, regarding the work restrictions during the coronavirus outbreak: "When we ourselves say to stay at home, we do not know how the economy of those we tell to stay at home will be financed."

Source: DW