In a private session of the Iranian Majlis (parliament) on Sunday, the Iranian regime’s government officials refused to vote on a bill that would adjust the salaries of teachers in Iran, instead, they sent the bill back to the education commission to be revised.
This latest decision follows months of ongoing protests by teachers across Iran. The current salaries for teachers are leaving them living below the poverty line, barely able to provide for their families. The protests have been aimed at the education ministry, as well as other government institutions calling for increased salaries and more job opportunities.
According to MP Alireza Sefidan, member of the education commission, by passing the ranking bill, the regime would have to pay all teachers an extra 30 million rials per month and teachers with a master’s degree with an additional 70 million rials.
The regime’s budget deficit is already 450 trillion rials, and according to the industry, mines, and trade ministry, the regime doesn’t have enough income to fill the 307 trillion rial gap of the proposed salary increase.
This, however, is false as the regime would rather fund their terrorist proxy groups in the Middle East and pour money into developing weapons of mass destruction, rather than provide teachers in Iran, and other sectors of society, with enough money to solve society’s problems.
That of course, would be a hard decision for a regime that has built its power on spreading terrorism, violence, and Islamic fundamentalism across the region and repressing any form of dissent through arrests, torture, and executions.
Teachers in Iran have been protesting since last year, but the regime still refuses to address their demands. The latest series of demonstrations began in early September, just before the start of the new academic year. Among the demands are that the ‘80 percent ranking plan’ should be implemented. This plan ensures that teachers will receive at least 80% of the wages that faculty members receive so that they’re all receiving equal salaries.
The regime’s continued disregard for the needs of teachers and its repressive response to their demonstrations has gradually skewed their demands and rallies into political protests.
Along with the teachers’ protests, other segments of Iranian society have been holding protests to fight for their rights despite the severe repression and the regime’s disregard for the demands of Iranian citizens across the country.
Even the regime’s state-run media have warned of the potential consequences if the regime continues to avoid addressing the problems that need to be solved.
The Mostaghel newspaper wrote last month that considering the wave of protests across Iran ‘in response to livelihood and living conditions problems across the country’, the crises will not be overcome by the government simply using ‘band-aid responses and keeping the lid on the main demands’.
The article also read, “The security apparatus tries to stop the protests through pressure, but so long as livelihood problems are not solved, we will continue to see these protest rallies.”
