Four years of non-payment of overdue telecommunications wages have pushed employees’ livelihoods to the brink of collapse. According to a report by the state-run ILNA news agency on May 21, the Tehran Province Telecommunications Workers’ Association, in a letter addressed to the CEO of the Telecommunications Company of Iran, requested payment of the frozen monthly and annual welfare benefit differences from the past four years and their full, unconditional payment based on personnel employment regulation 89/24 from the beginning of the year. Continuing the wave of labor protests across various worker and service sectors, telecommunications employees in Tehran Province demanded payment of overdue claims and the full implementation of employment regulations.
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The issue of overdue telecommunications wages has repeatedly become one of the main subjects of protests by the company’s employees in recent years. Workers say that part of their legal compensation has not been paid over the past four years, and company management has not provided a clear answer regarding when these claims will be settled.
The association’s letter referred to the difficult living conditions of employees. Rising living costs, severe inflation, and declining purchasing power have caused many telecommunications employees to face serious economic hardship. This is while a significant portion of their benefits and welfare payments remain unpaid.
Overdue Telecommunications Wages and the Livelihood Crisis of Employees
Telecommunications employees say their income does not even match minimum living expenses. According to published reports, the salary ceiling of many workers and employees in private and state companies is several times below the poverty line. Nevertheless, even those limited wages are often paid late or incompletely.
The protests over overdue telecommunications wages come as various labor groups in the oil, steel, education, transportation, and telecommunications sectors have repeatedly protested their wage conditions in recent months. Many of these protests have centered on unpaid wages, elimination of benefits, and declining job security.
The protesting employees believe that the Telecommunications Company has refused to fully implement its legal obligations. They emphasize that welfare payments and wage benefits are part of employees’ legal rights, and eliminating or freezing them violates employment regulations.
Meanwhile, labor activists say the absence of independent labor unions and restrictions on the right to strike are among the reasons this situation continues. According to them, many workers and employees lack the ability to independently pursue their demands, allowing employers and managers to ignore wage rights.
Protests Over Overdue Telecommunications Wages Continue
Tehran telecommunications employees have warned that continued disregard for wage demands will create broader dissatisfaction. They are demanding the immediate payment of all overdue claims and the full implementation of employment regulations.
The protest over overdue telecommunications wages is not merely a labor demand. It is part of the broader livelihood crisis among workers and salaried employees in Iran. Economic crisis, inflation, and structural corruption have placed heavy pressure on the lives of millions of families.
In recent years, labor protests have become one of the most important manifestations of social discontent. Many employees and workers believe that the country’s resources, instead of being used to improve people’s livelihoods, are being spent on networks of power and government corruption. This issue has further deepened the divide between society and the ruling structure.
