Labor Rights in Iran

It is important to note that the information herein does not address all labor-related events and topics. In the winter of 2022-23, we published our fifth annual Zamaneh newsletter. Additionally, our latest special report focused on the plight of the Baluch fuel carriers. For all previously published reports related to workers’ rights, please visit Zamaneh’s labor page.
Overview 5
Overview
The Iranian year 1402 (starting March 21, 2023) began on a somber note for
workers as they continued to face wage suppression. While the official annual
inflation rate exceeded 44 percent, the Supreme Labor Council raised the minimum wage by a meager 27 percent. The Council’s decision resulted in a growing
disparity between workers’ wages and the cost of living, amounting to an 8 to
12 million tomans shortfall per worker. (Exchange rate at the time of this report’s
preparation: USD 1 = ~ 48,000.00 tomans)
The upward trend of the inflation rate persisted through April and May 2023. By
May, the official inflation rate had escalated to 54.6 percent, and inflation for
food products soared to an alarming 75.4 percent.
During this time, the government hiked the prices of several essential goods and
services while it simultaneously repressed wages. The fare for intracity transportation rose by at least 25 percent and, in some cases, by as much as 55 percent.1
Following an announcement by the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, the price of raw
milk surged by 25 percent, landing at 15 thousand tomans.2 This hike in raw milk
prices impacted the cost of widely consumed dairy products, such as yogurt,
cheese, and pasteurized milk. Following the Association of Dairy Industry Producers’ announcement, dairy product prices climbed by 30 to 35 percent.3
Prices for staple food items like chicken and eggs multiplied.4 The regulated price
of chicken escalated from 63 thousand tomans per kilogram in mid-April to 73
thousand tomans by May 3.5 The cost per kilogram of eggs also reached 100
thousand tomans.
After another decree by the Ministry of Agricultural Jihad, sugar prices spiked by
41.6 percent. According to this Ministry, the bulk cost per kilogram of sugar rose
from 18 thousand to 25.5 thousand tomans. Retail price for packaged sugar was
between 33 to 38 thousand tomans per kilogram.6
This ongoing surge in inflation, particularly for food, has decreased poor households’ calorie intake per capita. A Research Center of the Islamic Consultative
Assembly (Iranian Parliament) report, “Poverty situation and characteristics of
the poor in the decade 2011-2021,” revealed that the average calorie intake per
person plummeted to 2198 kilocalories in 2021. The first decile (the lowest-income segment of society, according to Iran’s Statistics Center’s classification)
reported an intake of just 1497 kilocalories, indicating an increasing class divide and escalating food poverty among low-income families.7
 The report further
1 Mehr News, April 19, 2023; IRNA, May 24, 2023 and IMNA May 8, 2023
2 Tasnim News, May 13, 2023
3 Fars News, June 1, 2023
4 Farda News, April 17, 2023
5 IMNA, May 3, 2023
6 Taadol News, May 14, 2023
7 Zamaneh, May 28, 2023
Overview 6
notes that tenants constrained by rent hikes were forced to cut back on other
expenses, predominantly food. Therefore, tenants’ average calorie intake has
consistently been lower than that of landlords.8
Rising rents in Iran have become a catalyst for poverty. The Statistics Center reported an average rent hike of 38.3 percent in April,9 which does not always align
with citizens’ actual experiences: tenants in some urban regions saw their rent
more than double from previous year.10 In urban locations, this rise in rent has
prompted a wave of migration to the city outskirts or newly formed settlements.
According to a report by the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, 55 percent of Iran’s population lacked “adequate and affordable housing” in
2021.11 This number has surged due to the increased rent and wage suppression
of 2022, leading to unconventional living arrangements such as CONEX box residences, rooftop rentals, communal living, and even sleeping on buses.
Independent labor organizations have coined the government’s wage suppression policies and forced impoverishment as a “declaration of war” against the
working class and wage earners. During the time of this report, they vehemently
demanded the revocation of the Supreme Labor Council’s decision through protests, petitions, and complaints to the Court of Administrative Justice.
The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (SWTSBC) likened the approved minimum wage to a “bullet” aimed at the hearts of millions of
workers. They noted that the assault on workers’ households becomes increasingly evident every year, exposing the exploitative nature of the Supreme Labor
Council and similar entities.12
Similarly, the Free Union of Iranian Workers decried the scant 27 percent wage
hike as “a declaration of war and open enmity toward millions of wage earners
and their families” by a government that “imposed poverty and misery on society.”13
In an online campaign, over 36,000 workers called for the annulment of the Supreme Labor Council’s decision and a reshuffle in the Council’s membership to
ensure that the vast labor community can influence Council decisions and protect workers’ rights.14
Despite these protests, the Minister of Cooperation, Labor, and Social Welfare
stated that the government had not committed to aligning workers’ wage increases with inflation.15
8 The Research Center of Islamic Consultative Assembly, ‘The State of Poverty and Characteristics of the Poor in
the 2010s’, May 23, 2023
9 Zamaneh, May 28, 2023
10 Zamaneh, April 20, 2023
11 Donya ye Eghteshad, May 20, 2023
12 The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (SWTSBC), March 22, 2023
13 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, March 20, 2023
14 Karzar, March 20, 2023
15 Tahlil Bazar, June 7, 2023
Prison Letters 7
Prison Letters
Reza Shahabi and Hassan Saeedi (board members of the Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company, SWTSBC), Jafar Ebrahimi and Rasool
Bodaghi (members of Tehran and Islamshahr teachers’ unions), and Keyvan
Mohtadi (a translator and researcher advocating for workers’ rights), have been
incarcerated since May 2022. Dawood Razavi, a retired bus worker from Tehran,
was sentenced to five years in prison in September 2022;16 when his health deteriorated in jail, the security forces refused medical treatment.
Reza Shahabi, Hassan Saeedi, and Keyvan Mohtadi were called into Branch One
of the Evin Prosecutor’s Office,17 signaling the opening of a new case. The specifics of the charges against them have yet to be disclosed.
In observance of International Labor Day, Mohtadi and Shahabi penned an open
letter to the millennial youth who partook in the protests known as “Woman, Life,
Freedom.” They wrote:
“A generational movement finds its genuine essence when faced with social divisions and structural differentiation. The most overlooked aspect is
a collective identity formed around occupation and class status. All significant historical transformations have inherently included a class dimension. In addition to forging a collective identity, the workplace struggle
can often yield enduring accomplishments and impact while steering clear
of violent street clashes.”18
During the 2023 International Labor Organization conference, Shahabi wrote another letter to the representatives of independent trade unions. He implored:
“Support Iranian workers and reject the security officers, who have been
dispatched to the International Labor Organization as supposed representatives of the Iranian workforce. Dispel them from the board of directors of the International Labor Organization or labor committees. Insist
on the comprehensive enforcement of International Labor Organization
conventions, particularly those related to the right to organize, collective
bargaining, and freedom of association.”
In another section of the letter, this SWTSBC board member urged the trade
union representatives:
“The members of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s delegation to the International Labor Organization meeting do not truly represent Iranian workers,
as they were not chosen through a democratic, coercion-free process,
and without fear of retaliation by management, security forces, and the
employer. Assuming there were any elections, these individuals, who have
16 Zamaneh, June 8, 2023
17 Zamaneh, May 29, 2023
18 Zamaneh, April 30, 2023
Prison Letters 8
been appointed through fraudulent voting, have merely carried out the
instructions of the employer and government for their own benefit and to
exploit government privileges. They have never sided with the workers;
rather, they have consistently acted against workers’ interests. It’s an illkept secret that these members are extensions of their employers and the
government’s security apparatus, endorsing the dismissal of workers and
allowing oppressive measures against the working class.”19
As in past instances, the Islamic Republic of Iran dispatched members of Khane
Kargar (House of Labor) and other government-affiliated unions to represent Iranian labor organizations at the International Labor Organization conference. The
delegation included:
• Ahmadreza Moini, member of the Supreme Labor Council and board
member of the High Center of Islamic Labor Councils
• Mohammadreza Tajik, member of the Supreme Labor Council and the
Coordination Center of Islamic Labor Councils
• Gholamreza Abbasi, advisor for labor affairs to the Ministry of Labor.
• Seyed Mohammad Yarahmadian, chairman of the Supreme Assembly
of Workers’ Representatives
• Somayeh Golpour, head of the High Center of Trade Unions
• Majid Firouzabadi, Deputy Director of the Central Insurance Company
• Seyyed Ahmad Mousavi, official post(s) undisclosed
• Olia Ali Beigi, leader of the High Center of Islamic Labor Councils and
trustee for the Social Security Organization20
The assignment of delegates with a history of repressing workers and from
government-backed labor organizations sparked outrage in Ali Nejati, a retired
employee of Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Company and one of the founders of its
workers’ union. In a letter to the participants of the 2023 International Labor Organization conference, he wrote:
“These representatives of government organizations are chosen by employers, law enforcement, and security agencies, not workers. Workers
did not elect these individuals. At best, workers were coerced into voting
for candidates endorsed and nominated by repressive entities.”21
Eight independent Iranian labor organizations echoed this sentiment in a joint
letter to the delegations attending the 2023 International Labor Organization
Summit. They wrote, “In the past two years, labor activists, protesting teachers,
and other social activists and trade unions have been the primary targets of
widespread repression in Iran.” The letter demanded, “that the participants of
the ILO Summit condemn this rampant oppression and the escalating violations
19 Zamaneh, June 2, 2023
20 Zamaneh, June 8, 2023
21 Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Agro-Industry Co. Labor Syndicate, June 3, 2023
Prison Letters 9
of workers’ and teachers’ rights, especially the infringement of the right to form
independent organizations and the right to assemble and protest, which are fundamental rights in any society.” The authors also urged the summit to expel the
illegitimate representatives to the International Labor Organization and bar the
Iranian government’s delegation from participating in the conference.22
On June 9, 2023, numerous trade unions from France, Norway, Switzerland, Italy,
Sweden, and Denmark, responded to the call of the Iranian Protests Organizing
Committee by rallying at the conference venue in Geneva, demanding the expulsion of the Islamic Republic’s representatives.23
22 Zamaneh, May 30, 2023
23 Zamaneh, June 9, 2023
Intensified Suppression of Workers 10
Intensified Suppression of Workers
A government directive leaked by hackers reveals the Cultural Deputy of Defense
Propaganda of the Armed Forces General Staff issuing several instructions to
the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. This directive includes
decisions approved by the Headquarters to Combat Hybrid Warfare, which discuss strategies for handling potential worker protests and strikes on International
Workers’ Day and Teachers’ Day. These proposed solutions reflect part of the
government’s repressive approach toward workers. The third paragraph of the
directive underscores “the necessity of engaging with and supporting influential
figures in education and labor” to manage the influx of independent workers and
teachers. The fourth paragraph suggests heightened vigilance to “swiftly impede
the establishment of any network management that could potentially link the
demonstrations and strikes of workers and teachers.” Other strategies proposed
by the Headquarters to Combat Hybrid Warfare include “delegitimizing activists,” “identifying and neutralizing social media administrators inciting labor and
teacher strikes on social networks,” and “summoning principal, labor, and teacher
leaders.” These strategies aimed to curb the worker and teacher protests and
prevent potential alliances.
The arresting, summoning, and penalizing of teachers’ union members, oil and
gas contract workers, independent labor organization members, and workers’
rights advocates soon after the Nowruz holiday can be interpreted as practical
steps toward implementing these instructions.
Between March and May 2023, numerous teachers were arrested, summoned, or
penalized by workplace supervisory boards. Several oil and gas contract workers, labor activists in Kurdistan province, and a group of civil activists advocating
for workers’ rights in Tehran were also detained.
In the wake of these incarcerations, the Revolutionary Courts issued prison sentences for several workers and advocates for workers’ rights. Farzaneh Zillabi, a lawyer representing workers of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane factory, Ahvaz Steel, and teachers of Khuzestan province, was sentenced to one year and
eight months in prison.24 Maryam (Anisha) Asadollahi, the official translator of
the SWTSBC, who was arrested on May 9, 2022, and subsequently released on
bail, received a prison sentence of five years and eight months from the Tehran
Revolutionary Court.25
The same court sentenced Davood Razavi, a retired SWTSBC worker incarcerated since September 27, 2022, to five years in prison, accompanied by a twoyear prohibition on social activities.26 Furthermore, Zeinab Hamrang Seyedbiglo,
a retired teacher detained in Evin prison since February 2023, was sentenced to
24 Zamaneh, May 21, 2023
25 Zamaneh, May 15, 2023
26 Zamaneh, June 7, 2023
Intensified Suppression of Workers 11
five years by Branch 26 of the Tehran Revolutionary Court.27
On the eve of International Labor Day, security forces arrested Kamyar Fakoor,
Sarvenaz Ahmadi, Jaleh Roohzad, Olduz Hashemi, Asal Mohammadi, Hirad Pirbodaghi, Anisha Asadollahi, and Reyhaneh Ansarinejad while they were visiting
the family of Mohammad Habibi, the spokesperson of the teachers’ union.28 Six
of the detainees were released on bail, while Kamyar Fakoor and Sarvenaz Ahmadi, who had previously been sentenced to eight months and three years, eight
months in prison respectively, remain incarcerated.29
•     On International Workers’ Day, security officers apprehended Ata Babakhani, a retired worker and SWTSBC workers’ union member.30 He was
released on bail the following day.
•     Burhan Saeedi,31 a Sanandaj-based labor activist, has remained in detention since May 18, 2023.
•     Several other workers arrested in Sanandaj, including Iqbal Shabani, the
Inspector of the Bakers Syndicate, Kamal Karimi, Abdullah Khairabadi,
Hajar Saidi, Habibullah Karimi, Iqbal Pishkari, Sirvan Mahmoudi, Shadman
Abdi, and Khabat Mahmoudi, have since been released on bail.32
•     Farhad Sheikhi, a labor activist in Tehran, was arrested and detained
again.33 He has been provisionally released on bail pending the conclusion of his proceedings.
•     Mohammad Irannejad, Morteza Seidi, and Nasrullah Amirlou, three labor
activists arrested in 2022, faced retrial at the Shahriar Revolutionary
Court.34 Previously, the Revolutionary Court had sentenced Irannejad to
one year in prison. He served this sentence until he was released in February 2023. Security forces detained Seidi and Amirlou on April 15, 2022,
but they were released on bail on May 2 and May 9, 2022 respectively.
•     Osman Esmaili, a labor activist in Saqqez who had been detained from
February 8 to April 17, 2023, received a court summons shortly after his
release.35
In addition to the arrests and court rulings targeting labor activists, employers
also leverage dismissals of workers and workers’ representatives as a tool for
oppression and to exert pressure. During the spring, at least six workers’ representatives were dismissed due to their pursuit of union demands.
Four representatives from the metro ticket sales department, who were invited
to a meeting with contractor company management to discuss unpaid workers’
27 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 29, 2023
28 Zamaneh, April 28, 2023
29 Zamaneh, May 10, 2023
30 Zamaneh, May 1, 2023
31 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, May 18, 2023
32 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, May 31, 2023
33 Zamaneh, May 29, 2023
34 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, April 27, 2023
35 Zamaneh, May 28, 2023
Intensified Suppression of Workers 12
wages,36 along with two representatives from the Nakh Alborz Company located
in the Alborz industrial town of Qazvin, faced dismissal or suspension for pushing
for union demands.37 In Asaluyeh, numerous workers were threatened with dismissal for participating in a strike (refer to the oil and gas workers’ protest section
for additional details).
36 Etemad Online, 21 April 2023
37 ILNA, May 17, 2023
Protests 13
Protests
Resistance from Teachers
Teachers have built the most organized trade union in Iran. Their protests over
living conditions, oppression of union activists, privatization of schools, the sale
of Ministry of Education property under the Productivity Plan, and widespread
student poisoning in schools have continued through 2023.
Since the end of March, teachers have organized at least three rallies on March
28,38 April 7,39 and May 9,40 2023. The May 9 protest marked the anniversary
of the execution of Farzad Kamangar, a Kurdish teacher, by the Islamic Republic. These protests spanned over 30 cities and in some areas, including Tehran,
Rasht, Isfahan, Sanandaj, Marivan, and Mashhad, police forces responded with
force.
In an effort to prevent teachers from rallying in April and May, security forces
arrested many trade union activists, including Mohammad Habibi, the spokesperson for the Coordinating Council of Trade Unions. Administrative misconduct
boards punished dozens of teachers for participating in rallies or sit-ins in 2022.
The Etemad Daily reported on May 31 that the Minister of Education had ordered
the exclusion of at least 250 teachers from job ranking due to their trade union
activities.41
The following list names some labor and teacher activists who were arrested.
• Mohammad Habibi, the Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations spokesperson, was arrested in Tehran on April 5 and released on bail in
May.42
• Ismail Khodayari, a teacher from Khorramdasht, was summoned to court. He
had previously been sentenced to mandatory retirement, along with the demotion of his job group by the Administrative Offenses Investigation Board.43
• Mohammad Saeedi Abu Eshaghi, a Lordegan-based teacher, received a summons from the prosecutor’s office.44
• Zainab Hamrang, a retired teacher, was sentenced to 5 years in prison.45
• Masoud Farhikhata was arrested on May 1 and released on bail on May 26.46
38 Zamaneh, March 28, 2023
39 Zamaneh, April 7, 2023
40 Zamaneh, April 8, 2023
41 Etemad, May 31, 2023
42 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 21, 2023
43 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, June 2, 2023
44 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, June 2, 2023
45 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 29, 2023
46 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 26, 2023
Protests 14
• Hamid Mujiri, a Khomeinishahr-based teacher, was subjected to mandatory
retirement.47
• Mohsen Omrani, a member of the Bushehr teachers’ union board of directors,
was apprehended.48
• Mahmoud Malaki, Asghar Hajeb, and Abdolreza Amanifar were summoned to
court.49
• Maryam Jalali Hosseini, a teacher, was apprehended in Tehran.50
• Ateke Rajabi, a teacher, was arrested in Mashhad on May 9 and released on
bail on May 14.51
• Farzad Safi Khanpour, a teachers’ union activist, was arrested in Sanandaj.52
• Mohammadreza Alijani was forced into retirement with the demotion of his job
group.53
• Fatemeh Tadrisi, a teacher, was apprehended in Tehran.54
• Kokab Bodaghi, a teachers’ union activist in Izeh, was summoned to court.55
• Farzaneh Nazeranpour was taken into custody to serve an eight-month prison
sentence.56
• Reza Tahmasabi, Ghiyath Ne’mati, Majid Karimi, Baha Maleki, Faisal Nouri, and
Jamil Amini were summoned to the Intelligence Department in Sanandaj.57
• Security officers searched the home of Tahira Naghii, the Secretary General
of the teachers’ organization, confiscating her mobile phone and laptop.58
• Zahra Avaz-zadeh, a teachers’ union activist in North Khorasan, was summoned to court.59
• An indictment was issued against Aram Qaderi, Tahsin Mustafa, Sivan Soleimani, and Aram Mohammadi, teacher union activists in Marivan, for participating in union assemblies.60
• Omid Shah Mohammadi, a teachers’ union activist in Diwandara, was detained
47 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 22, 2023
48 Zamaneh, April 30, 2023
49 Zamaneh, April 30, 2023
50 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 21, 2023
51 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 16, 2023
52 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 14, 2023
53 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 10, 2023
54 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 10, 2023
55 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 8, 2023
56 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 2, 2023
57 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, May 1, 2023
58 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 26, 2023
59 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 22, 2023
60 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 19, 2023
Protests 15
for a prison sentence.61
• Rohollah Mardani, a teachers’ union activist, was summoned to the Karaj Revolutionary Court.62
• Security forces arrested Fatemeh Zandkarimi, a Sanandaj-based teacher, and
later released her on bail.63
• Mahmoud Beheshti Langaroudi, a teachers’ union activist in Gilan province,
was prosecuted for insulting the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran.64
• Mohammad Ghanati, a teacher in Arak, was apprehended.65
• Iraj Tobeiha and Hossein Ashrafi, teachers’ union activists, were arrested in
Najaf Abad.66
• The Board of Investigation of Violations sentenced Maryam Zirak, a member
of the Qazvin Teachers’ Union, to early retirement and wage reduction.67
• Aziz Ghasemzadeh, Anoush Adeli, and Mahmoud Sedighipour were arrested
and relocated to Lakan prison for a one-year sentence.68
• Asghar Amirzadegan received an eight-month prison sentence.69
• Zahra Esfandiari, Mozhgan Bagheri, Asghar Amirzadegan, Abdul Razzaq Amiri,
Iraj Rahnama, Gholamreza Gholami, Mohammad Ali Zahamtakesh, and Afshin
Razmjo were prosecuted in Fars province.70 Shiraz Revolutionary Court sentenced them to prison for two to five years.71
• Pirouz Nami, Siamak Sadeghi Chehrazi, Zohra Bakhtiari, Shahriar Shirvaniya,
Emad Rafieinejad, Ali Karushati, Kokeb Bodaghi, Moin Zargani, Sadegh Naseri,
Iqbal Tamradi, and Behnia Bahameinejad were prosecuted in Khuzestan province.72
• Hamida Zare Cheshmeh, Ahmad Changizi, Mansour Mirzaei, Seyyed Mohammad Fakhrul-Hosseini, and Mehdi Kalantari were summoned to the Yazd Revolutionary Court.73
61 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 13, 2023
62 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 12, 2023
63 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 12, 2023
64 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 11, 2023
65 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 11, 2023
66 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 10, 2023
67 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 9, 2023
68 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, April 8, 2023
69 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, June 11, 2023
70 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, June 10, 2023
71 Zamaneh, June 17, 2023
72 Source above
73 Coordinating Council of Teachers’ Union Organizations, June 17, 2023
Protests 16
Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Workers’ Strike
Contract workers from the oil, gas, and petrochemical sectors initiated a significant strike on April 21, 2023. These workers, who had previously staged lengthy
strikes to advocate for their rights, made the following demands:74
• An immediate salary increase by 79 percent
• A schedule of 20 workdays followed by ten rest days per month
• Improvements to dormitory conditions and transportation and meal services
• Abolition of contracting companies
• Removal of the “15-day unpaid trial work” clause in contracts
• Removal of the “protest prohibition” clause in contracts
• Timely wage payments
The strike, which included walkouts, extended to over 100 workshops involved in
various projects. The major hubs for this strike were Asaluyeh in Bushehr province, home to many oil and gas projects, and Khuzestan province, which hosts
numerous refineries and petrochemical plants.
Security institutions, having implemented extensive measures since 2022 to ensure project security and curb labor protests, announced the arrest of several
“errant contractors” on May 3, 2023.
Sekhavat Asadi, CEO of Pars Energy Special Project, issued an ultimatum to the
striking workers: return to work within a week or face dismissal and replacement.75 Despite these threats, the workers continued their strike. On May 14, the
deputy security officer of the Bushehr Governorate attributed the workers’ strike
to “foreign influences” and announced the arrest of eight participating workers,
claiming the strike had ended.76 However, the Oil and Gas Contract Workers’ Protest Organizing Council refuted this claim in a statement released on May 15.77
On May 25, following legal prosecutions and a security crackdown on oil and gas
project workers, the Tasnim news agency quoted security sources as saying the
“second leader of the strikes” had been arrested in Asaluyeh.78 To date, only one
worker, Sajjad Khosravi, has been confirmed as charged. The committee overseeing the establishment of labor organizations also reported the “arrest” and
“abduction” of oil and gas contract workers on the job but did not disclose any
identities.79
Oil and gas contract workers comprise the largest temporary workforce in Iran.
74 Zamaneh, April 21, 2023
75 Zamaneh, May 3, 2023
76 Zamaneh, May 14, 2023
77 Zamaneh, May 15, 2023
78 Zamaneh, May 25, 2023
79 Zamaneh, May 28, 2023
Protests 17
Many of these workers operate in specialized energy zones or free trade zones,
which are areas not covered by labor law. The significant influence of the Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its affiliates over oil and gas projects has
resulted in a highly securitized work environment. Contract workers are not permitted to form independent organizations, and the government attempts to manage and suppress labor protests by establishing Islamic councils or organizations
aligned with the government.
Ongoing Protests by Retirees
The government’s continued encroachment on retirees’ living standards and
pension funds remains a pressing issue. The government’s debt to the Social
Security Organization is estimated at around 600 trillion tomans.80 Despite claims
by government officials of allocating 200 trillion tomans towards this debt, the
delay in full payment has resulted in a budget deficit for the Social Security Organization, pushing many of its retirees and pensioners into poverty.
Over the past three months, Social Security Organization pensioners have staged
weekly protests every Sunday across various cities. Their primary demand is a
salary increase that reflects the actual rate of inflation and the cost of living.
However, despite the widespread protests, the government has raised pension
amounts by only 21-27 percent, leaving the minimum recipients of the Social Security Organization’s pension fund with a monthly income of less than six million
tomans.81
On May 5, the Council of Retirees issued a statement demanding improvements
to retirees’ quality of life. They called for “the reinstatement of tripartite management to the Social Security Council’s administrative structure,” “the dismissal of
the Social Security Organization’s CEO,” and “the impeachment of the Minister of
Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare.”82
In the Seventh Development Plan bill, the government has planned extensive
measures that could adversely affect pensioners’ livelihoods. These proposed
changes include increasing the retirement age, altering the method of calculating
retirement salaries - leading to reduced pension amounts - and revising the definition of complex and harmful jobs. These proposals have been submitted to parliament and, if approved, will further exacerbate the challenges faced by retirees.
“Protest Mondays” Organized by Telecom Company Retirees
The 2009 sale of the government’s shares in the Iran Telecommunication Company to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Execution of Imam
80 Iran Magazine, May 15, 2023
81 Jamaran, May 21, 2023
82 Zamaneh, May 5, 2023
Protests 18
Khomeini’s Order (EIKO) significantly impacted the livelihoods of the company’s
employees and retirees. As part of the transaction, the new shareholders committed to fulfilling all wage and benefit obligations to current and retired employees. However, over the years, the company has stripped away certain welfare
benefits stipulated in the sales agreement, affecting both retirees and employees.
In response, Telecom retirees have staged demonstrations every Monday from
April through June, protesting the removal of welfare benefits, food allowances,
and the inadequacy of their retirement pay.83
Other labor protests
Workers in several sectors, including municipal services and smaller manufacturing industries, continue to express their discontent. Long-standing wage delays,
temporary contracts facilitating easy employee dismissal, and low wages remain
the primary drivers of numerous labor protests.
The table below summarizes labor protests from April to June 2023, representing
only the demonstrations reported in the media.
Table 1: Labor protests across different sectors (April-June 2023)
Place of protest Deferred
wages
Low
wages
Temporary
contract
Job classification
Dismissals
Workplace
discrimination
Other Additional explanation
Haft-Tappeh Sugarcane Factory84
* * Non-implementation of wage
equalization
Objection to CEO’s
insulting words
Pars Haft-Tappeh
Paper85
* * * Low salaries
Temporary contracts
Non-implementation of job classification
Qeshm Municipality86
* * Three to four
months of unpaid
wages
Saravan Municipality
* Three to four
months of unpaid
wages
83 Mokhaberat Farda, June 6, 2023
84 Zamaneh, May 1, 2023
85 Zamaneh, May 4, 2023
86 Chelbim, April 8, 2023
Protests 19
Place of protest Deferred
wages
Low
wages
Temporary
contract
Job classification
Dismissals
Workplace
discrimination
Other Additional explanation
Bandar Imam Municipality87
* -
Ilam city services88 * -
Jiroft Municipality89 * Dismissal of 180
workers
Yasuj Municipality90 * -
Tehran Municipality
traffic control91
* -
Command center
of Tehran Metro
Company92
* -
Tehran bus service93
* -
Qazvin bus service94
* -
Mashhad firefighters95
* * -
Qazvin highway
project96
* Dismissal of a group
of workers after the
digitalization of toll
collection
Qom Railway technical construction
and maintenance97
* Dismissal of a group
of workers
Kerman Railway
technical construction and maintenance98
* * Three months of
unpaid wages
Zanjan Railway
technical construction and maintenance99
* -
87 ILNA, May 13, 2023
88 Zamaneh, May 23, 2023
89 Zamaneh, May 23, 2023
90 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, June 12, 2023
91 Eco Iran, April 30, 2023
92 Eghtesad Online, 25 April 2023
93 The Syndicate of Workers of Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company (SWTSBC), May 30, 2023
94 ILNA, May 28, 2023
95 ISNA, May 13, 2023
96 Rokna News, May 13, 2023
97 Zamaneh, May 23, 2023
98 Zamaneh, May 4, 2023
99 ILNA, April 17, 2023
Protests 20
Place of protest Deferred
wages
Low
wages
Temporary
contract
Job classification
Dismissals
Workplace
discrimination
Other Additional explanation
Tehran schools
services
* Low salaries
Qom nurses * * Dissatisfaction
with calculation
for wages and
benefits (ta’rofeh)
Nurses of Kurdistan100
* * Dissatisfaction
with calculation
for wages and
benefits (ta’rofeh)
Qazvin nurses101 * * Dissatisfaction
with calculation
for wages and
benefits (ta’rofeh)
Yasouj nurses102 Dissatisfaction
with calculation
for wages and
benefits (ta’rofeh)
Shiraz nurses103 * * Dissatisfaction
with calculation
for wages and
benefits (ta’rofeh)
Sajjad Shahriar Hospital104
* * * Dissatisfaction
with calculation
for wages and
benefits (ta’rofeh)
Nonpayment for
work clothes
Medical interns of
Kermanshah105
* * Wage discrimination
100 Zamaneh, April 24, 2023
101 ILNA, April 17, 2023
102 Asr Dena, May 6, 2023
103 ILNA, April 26, 2023
104 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, May 1, 2023
105 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, June 6, 2023
Protests 21
Place of protest Deferred
wages
Low
wages
Temporary
contract
Job classification
Dismissals
Workplace
discrimination
Other Additional explanation
Tarzeh coal mine106 * Low salary
Chadormelo iron ore
mine107
* -
Madekosh Bandar
Abbas iron ore
mine108
* * * -
Khorasan Steel109 * -
Sadr Steel110 * Dismissal of 23
workers
Mahshahr
pipe-making111
* Dismissal of 140
workers
Saipa Zanjan parts
manufacturing112
* -
Darugar holdings * * * -
Yazd Tire113 * * -
Kalibar Nepheline
Syenite Company114
* * -
Regional electricity
operators of Khuzestan115
* * -
Gachsaran oil and
gas
* Dismissal of several workers
Bandar Abbas truck
drivers116
* Reduction of fuel
quota
Low freight rates
Astara taxi drivers117 * Low fares
Isfahan farmers118 * Failure to provide
water rights
106 Zamaneh, May 23, 2023
107 Zamaneh, May 23, 2023
108 Zamaneh, May 29, 2023
109 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, June 6, 2023
110 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, April 17, 2023
111 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, April 9, 2023
112 ILNA, April 19, 2023
113 Zamaneh, May 1, 2023
114 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, May 29, 2023
115 ILNA, April 9, 2023
116 Pensioners Council, April 9, 2023
117 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, April 27, 2023
118 Free Trade Union of Iranian Workers, April 8, 2023
Protests 22
Lamard farmers119 * Low price of buying wheat
Kermanshah Governorate120
* -
119 Coordinating Council to Organize Labor Unions, May 4, 2023
120 Iran Watch, May 9, 2023
The State of Informal Laborers 23
The State of Informal Laborers
A 2020 report from the Iranian Statistics Center on formal and informal employment indicated that out of a working population of 23,263,047, approximately
13.5 million individuals were engaged in “informal jobs.” This represents about
58 percent of the total working population in companies where the company’s
activity was unregistered, the number of workers reported was fewer than ten, or
where individuals were employed in roles without official and regular salary and
wage compensation.121
According to the same report, by the winter of 2022, the employed population
had increased to 23,716,000 - a rise of only 453,000 from 2020. Despite this,
the report estimated a seemingly unrealistic unemployment rate of 9 percent
for 2022, likely attributed to a low economic participation rate. Only 26 million
out of 64 million working age people, or 40.5 percent, were economically active
(employed or seeking employment) during the winter of 2022; 38 million people were neither employed nor seeking employment.122 According to the report’s
data, over 63 percent of Iran’s population aged 15-69 was unemployed in 2022.
However, these individuals likely generated minimal income through informal jobs
like freight work, kulbari (transporting cargo by foot across the country’s western
borders), passenger transport, peddling, and other similar roles.
In the winter of 2022, Iran’s labor force census reported that Kurdistan and Kermanshah, provinces with the country’s highest unemployment rates of 20.5 and
15.1 percent respectively, were also the primary regions for kulbari activity.123
In Sistan and Baluchistan, where fuel transportation or sukhtbari (carrying fuel
across Iran’s eastern border) serves as a primary income source for many unemployed individuals, the unemployment rate was reported to be at 10.3 percent.
This figure represented a 2.7 percent increase from winter 2019. It is crucial to
consider the province’s low economic participation and employment rates: the
economic participation rate dropped by one percentage point (from 35 to 34)
between the winters of 2021 and 2022, while employment decreased from 32.4
to 30.5 percent.124 Over the same period, military officials targeted fuel carriers
(sukhtbars) and on-foot cargo carriers (kulbars), the largest group of informal
workers, with deadly violence at border crossings.
From April to June 13, 2023, 68 sukhtbars were reportedly killed. Fatal road accidents and vehicle fires caused the deaths of 58 fuel carriers, while border guards
killed ten others. At least seven sukhtbars were injured by gunfire from Iranian
border agents, and seven kulbars were wounded in road accidents. Among the
fatalities were at least three children and one hourly paid teacher.125 In Sistan
and Baluchistan province, low salaries and delayed teacher wage payments have
121 Zamaneh, November 3, 2021 and Statistics Center report
122 Farhikhtegan Daily, April 30, 2023
123 Zamaneh, April 16, 2023
124 Statistics Center of Iran, 2022 winter labor census results
125 Zamaneh, April 13, 2023
The State of Informal Laborers 24
compelled some to resort to fuel carrying (sukhtbari).126
In Kurdistan, border guards killed two kulbars and injured 27 others. Falling from
heights or cardiac arrest also claimed the lives of three kulbars, while falls or
mine explosions injured two others.
On May 26, during a visit to Kermanshah province, Interior Minister Ahmed Vahidi
announced the implementation of a project titled “Dignity of Kulbars.” According
to him, this plan aims to legalize, secure, and bring transparency to the kulbars’
activities.127
126 Zamaneh, April 8, 2023
127 Tasnim News, May 26, 2023
Exploitation of Child Labor 25
Exploitation of Child Labor
A member of the Tehran Islamic Council has reported that the number of children
working on the streets in Iran is rising daily. Sudeh Najafi, head of the Health
Committee of the Council, has estimated the number of child laborers in Tehran
at 70,000 and said they face numerous instances of abuse. She stated that 80
percent of these children are not Iranian citizens.128
In April, Mohammadreza Heydarhai, head of the Social Victims Affairs Office of
the State Welfare Organization of Iran, announced that there are approximately
120,000 working children in Iran. He noted that of these, 14,500 “were identified,
and around 10,500 of them utilized the services of the welfare organization.” He
maintained that the rest of these children chose not to accept aid.129
Heydarhai identified poverty, exacerbated by the economic crisis, as a significant factor contributing to the rise in child labor. He said, “Many of these children
are Afghan citizens, and their families have no source of income; hence they
work as a family to earn a living.”130
Despite Iranian labor laws prohibiting the employment of children under the age
of 15, contractors from the Tehran Municipality continue to exploit children in
demanding jobs.131
Fatemeh Daneshvar, CEO of the Mehafarin charity organization, confirmed a decrease in the working age of child laborers and an increase in their numbers
following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan. She reported that children
as young as 11 to 12 years old work in underground workshops and brick kilns.
According to her, these working children face the risk of sexual exploitation and
accidents on the street, with her organization receiving several reports of sexual
abuse of street children.132
Government officials have suggested banning the entry of “foreign nationals”
and extraditing Afghan children across the border as two effective strategies
to decrease the number of street children. The Deputy of Social Affairs of the
Welfare Organization said, “Until the laws and policies concerning citizens are revised, it is impossible to seriously and comprehensively tackle the issue of street
working children.”133
128 Zamaneh, June 11, 2023
129 Khabar Online, April 17, 2023
130 Entekhab, May 2, 2023
131 ISNA, May 8, 2023
132 Hammihan Online, June 12, 2023
133 Fars News, June 13, 2023
Migrant Workers and the Intensified Restrictive Measures 26
Migrant Workers and the Intensified Restrictive
Measures
The living conditions of immigrants in Iran, particularly refugees from Afghanistan, have become increasingly difficult. Disputes between the Iranian and Taliban governments over the Hirmand River have exposed Afghan immigrants to
greater threats. Mohammad Sargazi, the representative of Zahedan in the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Iranian Parliament), suggested that the government
leverage immigrants to exert pressure on the Taliban.134
The Minister of the Interior of the Islamic Republic announced the creation of a
distinct organization dedicated to the “regulation of immigrants and foreign nationals.”135
The Iranian government has made it illegal for immigrants to purchase property.136 The Deputy Minister of Labor, Cooperation, and Social Welfare has tied the
extension of Afghan immigrants’ residency to their employment status, stating,
“According to labor law, foreign nationals without a work permit or temporary
work card are not allowed to work in the country. Employers who hire them are in
violation of the law and will be fined.”137
Special patrols have formed in some provinces to handle “illegal residents.”138 In
Gerash City, Fars province, landlords are prohibited from renting properties to
immigrants. The city’s governor encouraged employers to “utilize local workforce
and refrain from hiring and employing undocumented foreign nationals.”139
On Qeshm Island, the governor labeled renting accommodations to immigrants
a “crime,” warning, “Individuals who rent property to unauthorized foreign nationals, either short-term or long-term, or facilitate their presence on the island
will face severe repercussions. Their property will be sealed, and they will be
charged with aiding and abetting the residency of unauthorized foreign nationals, and subsequently reported to the prosecutor’s office.”140 On June 4, the director of Darghan city affairs of the Qeshm Free Zone Organization announced
the closure of 10 businesses run by “foreign citizens.” He stated, “As per the
country’s laws, foreign nationals cannot work in Iran unless they have an entry
visa and have received a work permit under the relevant laws and regulations.”141
The “Employment System of Foreign Nationals” project has been implemented as a
national initiative in all provinces. According to an order from Fars Province’s Chamber of
134 Iran Watch, May 21, 2023
135 IRNA, May 26, 2023
136 Etemad Online, May 24, 2023
137 Tasnim News, April 4, 2023
138 Mehr News, May 12, 2023
139 Pandari, April 30, 2023
140 Chelbim, May 30, 2023
141 Khabar Online, June 4, 2023
Migrant Workers and the Intensified Restrictive Measures 27
Guilds, the employment of non-Iranian salespersons is forbidden. In June, government
officials boarded up all shops owned by Afghan immigrants and those owned by Iranians
employing Afghan workers in Fars province.142
142 Zamaneh, June 12, 2023
Workplace Safety 28
Workplace Safety
According to a report from the Iranian Legal Medicine Organization (ILMO), in the
Iranian calendar year 1401 (March 21, 2022, to March 21, 2023), 1900 workers
lost their lives due to workplace accidents.143 In contrast, the Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare acknowledged only 711 work-related fatalities.144 The discrepancy between the ILMO and the Ministry’s reports implies that
1,189 workers died in uninsured or unregulated workplaces.
Falls from heights, predominantly on construction sites, accounted for the highest number of fatal incidents for workers in 2022 at 45.3 percent. High-ranking
Ministry of Cooperation, Labor, and Social Welfare officials have estimated that
at least 500,000 construction workers are uninsured.145
To lessen the financial burden on construction owners and employers, the Islamic Consultative Assembly proposed the revision of Article 5 of the Construction
Workers Insurance Law in an urgent plan. This proposal, which had previously
been approved for implementation in January 2023, effectively halted the enforcement of this legal provision. Akbar Showkat, the chairman of the board of
directors of the construction workers’ union, attributed the suspension of the insurance clause for construction workers and the revision of Article 5 of the newly
approved law to the influence of the “construction mafia.”146
During the spring of 2023, like in previous periods, most work-related fatalities
occurred in the construction sector. Nearly half of the 49 work-related deaths
reported between March and June involved construction workers.
One hundred four workers were injured in this period, with construction workers
accounting for the highest number of incidents at 33 cases.
The number of fatal work accidents reported among working women is lower due
to limited economic participation and minimal formal employment. The ILMO said
30 female workers died in the Iranian calendar year 1401, which may not reflect
reality.
Besides being paid less than men for similar roles, female workers face harsher
conditions due to the requirement to wear the hijab at work. This obligation has
led to fatal accidents. On June 5, 2023, a female worker in a Neishabur plastic
factory died after her headscarf was caught in a plastic injection machine. This
incident echoed a similar tragedy from November 2020 when Marzieh Taherian,
a textile factory worker in the Semnan Desert, died under similar circumstances.147 An Iranian lawyer specializing in workers’ rights revealed after the female
143 ILNA, May 1, 2023
144 ILNA, May 30, 2023
145 Iran Newspaper, May 10, 2023
146 Iran Newspaper, May 10, 2023
147 Zamaneh, June 5, 2023
Workplace Safety 29
factory worker’s death that she was uninsured.148
At least one of the victims of workplace accidents this spring was a child: an
11-year-old boy who lost his life due to a gas canister explosion at his workplace.149
Table 2: Workplace Accidents, Spring 2023
Sector Death Injury
Construction 24 33
Industry 9 26
Small workshops 5 5
Mining 2 19
Services 0 12
Public/municipal services 5 5
Agriculture/animal husbandry
4 4
148 Farshad Esmaili’s tweet, June 7, 2023
149 Zamaneh, June 7, 2023
Workplace Safety 30
Workplace Safety 31
Visit Zamaneh Media Labor Rights Page:
English
https://en.radiozamaneh.com/labor/
Persian
https://www.radiozamaneh.com/tag/labor-reports/
Previous Reports
Report 24
Report 23
Report 22
Report 21
Report 20
Report 19
Report 18
Report 17
Report 16
Report 15
Annual Report no. 5
Annual Report no. 4
Annual Report no. 3
Annual Report no. 2
Annual Report no. 1
Special Report on Iranian Pensioners
Special Report on Wage Suppression of the Iranian Workers
Special Report on Oil Indus

factory worker’s death that she was uninsured.148
At least one of the victims of workplace accidents this spring was a child: an
11-year-old boy who lost his life due to a gas canister explosion at his workplace.149
Table 2: Workplace Accidents, Spring 2023
Sector Death Injury
Construction 24 33
Industry 9 26
Small workshops 5 5
Mining 2 19
Services 0 12
Public/municipal services 5 5
Agriculture/animal husbandry
4 4
148 Farshad Esmaili’s tweet, June 7, 2023
149 Zamaneh, June 7, 2023
Workplace Safety 30
Workplace Safety 31
Visit Zamaneh Media Labor Rights Page:
English
https://en.radiozamaneh.com/labor/
Persian
https://www.radiozamaneh.com/tag/labor-reports/
Previous Reports
Report 24
Report 23
Report 22
Report 21
Report 20
Report 19
Report 18
Report 17
Report 16
Report 15
Annual Report no. 5
Annual Report no. 4
Annual Report no. 3
Annual Report no. 2
Annual Report no. 1
Special Report on Iranian Pensioners
Special Report on Wage Suppression of the Iranian Workers
Special Report on Oil Industry’s Contractual Workers’ Strike
Special Report on Teachers and Reopening of Schools in Iran
Special Report on Suppression

No. 25
April - June 2023