The Supreme Labor Council will hold its 345th meeting on Saturday, September 28, 1405, focusing on examining the living conditions of the workforce, the effects of inflation on the household expenses of workers, and strategies to reduce economic pressures on workers. In this meeting, expert reports and existing solutions to maintain the purchasing power of the workforce will be reviewed, and discussions will be held on implementation methods across various sectors and levels.
The Need to Review Workers' Wages
Jalil Hajihosseini, a senior lawyer, commented on the wage situation of workers, stating: "In economics, some numbers are not just numbers; behind each number stands the lives of human beings. Wages are of this nature too." He added: "When the wage figure lags behind the actual cost of living, the result is not merely a reduction in the purchasing power reflected in a paycheck; rather, it leads to a shrinking table, elimination of healthcare, delayed rent, reduced quality of children's education, and ultimately the erosion of the social dignity of the workforce."
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Hajihosseini emphasized that today the issue of workers' wages has reached a sensitive point again. In September, the Supreme Labor Council has put the formation of a wage committee and the examination of the wage and living conditions of workers on its agenda, and the wage conditions for the second half of the year are to be reviewed. He said: "This matter should be taken seriously; not merely because there is a possibility of a slight percentage increase in wages, but because we must ask whether the wage determination mechanism has managed to align itself with the economic realities of workers' lives?"
Ensuring Workers' Livelihoods is a Priority
According to the wage circular for the year 1405, the minimum daily wage for workers has been set at 5 million and 541 thousand and 850 rials, and for other wage levels, a 45% increase in fixed or base wages plus a fixed daily amount has been established. Additionally, the worker's benefit is set at 22 million rials, housing allowance at 30 million rials, and marriage allowance at 5 million rials. Hajihosseini stressed: "The legislator, in Article 41 of the Labor Law, has mandated the Supreme Labor Council to determine the minimum wage each year based on two criteria: first, the inflation rate announced by the Central Bank, and second, an amount that can ensure the livelihood of an average-sized family."
He stated: "If wages increase but purchasing power decreases, it cannot be said that the goal of the law has been achieved simply by referring to the percentage increase in wages. The ultimate criterion is the real life of individuals." He also explained that the Supreme Labor Council has legal authority, but this authority should not mean ignoring the reality of livelihoods. He added: "If living costs have significantly increased and the purchasing power of the wage determined at the beginning of the year has rapidly declined, raising the issue of wage review is not an out-of-the-law demand, but rather a matter that can be examined within the diagnostic authority of the Supreme Labor Council."
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