In a stark warning to the regime’s parliament, an agency affiliated with the Iranian state raised concerns about the potential inclusion of Thursdays in the weekend schedule, citing detrimental impacts on workers’ rights. According to state media reports, the agency, known as “Khaneh Samt,” highlighted the cascading effect of extending weekends, asserting that adding one more day off to the working week would result in a 10% reduction in employee wages.
The letter addressed to the parliament emphasized the looming threat of reducing workers’ salaries if Thursdays are declared non-working days. This move, the agency contends, would not only curtail the shared working days with global markets but also hinder international economic activities by 25%.
Expressing grave societal concerns over the social backlash, Mohammad Chekhshian, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, rebuffed the agency’s claims of a 10% wage cut, labeling it as baseless. He stated that no entity has the authority to diminish workers’ rights, emphasizing the necessity to thwart any such illegal actions.
However, the state-run newspaper, “Donya-ye-Eghtesad,” issued a cautionary alert, drawing attention to a significant yet overlooked aspect of the proposed weekend adjustments. While much debate revolves around Thursday closures, the newspaper highlighted the potential disruptions in work hours, which are legally capped at 44 hours per week according to labor laws.
#Iran’s Supreme #Labor Council Exacerbates Poverty Instead of Raising Wageshttps://t.co/gIkED7qzyv pic.twitter.com/c1P7psONuI
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) March 17, 2024
The newspaper wrote today, “Within a proposed bill aimed at reducing working hours and increasing weekends, discussions have primarily revolved around the two-day weekend and the distinction between Saturday and Thursday downtime. However, a much more crucial aspect concerns the working hours outlined in the labor law, which has largely remained concealed from public scrutiny and could potentially lead to extensive disruptions and complications.”
The source further elaborated that in Article 51 and its second provision in Article 62 of the labor law, the legal working hours and the ceiling for workers’ weekly working hours are stipulated at 44 hours. However, the source warns, “this critical detail has not received adequate attention in the ongoing discussions surrounding the bill.”
The author of the report further criticized the government and parliament for their perceived incompetence and lack of foresight, attributing the potential chaos to their simplistic and superficial approach to legislation.
Within the ruling establishment, opponents of including Thursdays to the weekend argue that reducing working days and disrupting international transactions could lead to detrimental economic repercussions. Relying on this argument, they advocate for the closure of Saturdays instead of Thursdays. The staunch opposition to Saturday closures within the regime’s parliament is rooted in the fact that Saturdays are non-working days in Israel.
Irrespective of the regime’s intentions to serve its economic interests and bolster the profits of the privileged class, should it continue its historical pattern of burdening the Iranian people and diligent workers with the costs of such transformations, dire ramifications loom ahead.
