Reports from Iran indicate that 500 textile workers in Borujerd (western Iran) have been dismissed since the beginning of the current Persian calendar year (beginning from March 21). In the meantime, Moslem Moradi, the governor of Borujerd, has called for a “comprehensive inspection of the company” by the provincial auditors.
The dismissal of 500 workers from the textile industry in Borujerd comes as, according to reports, workers in some industrial units have faced actions such as dismissal or wage deductions after protesting against wage conditions or demanding the implementation of job classification plans.
The state-run ILNA news agency has written about whether blocking workers’ entry cards, as happened in the recent case of protesting workers at the National Steel Company in Ahvaz, is legal or not.
The news agency has also asked the Ministry of Labor to intervene in the punishment of employers for personnel without the formation of a “committee.”
The critical living conditions of workers have led to increased dissatisfaction among the workforce in society, and workers from various units have resorted to protest gatherings to pursue demands such as the implementation of job classification plans, job benefits, and payment of delayed paychecks.
The critical conditions of the workers have also had consequences such as “suicide,” and in this regard, in recent days, two workers in the Chovar petrochemical company committed suicide.
According to media reports, the workers tried to take their lives by hanging themselves after the employer banned them from entering the workplace. Workers at the Chovar petrochemical factory in Ilam province also claim that the factory manager carried out a mass dismissal and told 13 workers that they were no longer needed, which led to the suicide of two contract workers on December 21 in protest against the dismissals.
In another incident, workers from all sections of the Iranian National Industrial Group’s steel factories in Ahvaz went on strike on December 23 following the CEO’s ban on the entry of 21 workers and the failure to fully implement the job classification plan.
The strike has continued for a week, and Ali Mohammad, the CEO of the group, announced in response to the strike that the ban on the employment of 21 workers was carried out “in coordination and with the decision of the Khuzestan Supply Council” so that, according to him, “production lines are not disrupted.”
According to Article 48 of the Labor Law, the job classification plan must be implemented for all workshops that are covered by the Social Security Law and have more than 50 employees.
According to this legal article, in order to prevent the exploitation of other jobs, the Ministry of Labor is obligated to prepare and implement the job evaluation and classification system using the job standards and customs in the country.
