The targeted subsidy plan, which was implemented in Iran based on the recommendation of the International Monetary Fund, aims to liberalize the prices of goods and services and make them competitive according to market-based economic policies. As a result, the economy of Iran is becoming increasingly dependent on capitalist societies. Now, after two years of targeted subsidies in Iran, the country has experienced a significant increase in cash rates, inflation, and unemployment. The most important issue is the living conditions of the workforce, who are currently struggling with unemployment.

In capitalist countries, after the subject of capital and capitalists, employment becomes the most important issue. This is because labor is the only force that gives meaning to production through the use of capital. For this reason, the issue of unemployment is very important in these economies and the unemployment rate indicates the lack of use of capital and recession in the business environment.

On the other hand, due to the competitive nature of the market, the possibility of risk-taking in the market economy is very high and the business environment is risky, with the possibility of bankruptcy at any moment. In such a situation, employment is accompanied by economic, political, and social crises and fluctuations. Therefore, in order to support the workforce, unemployment insurance becomes very important. In this way, whenever an employed person becomes unemployed for any reason, such as work accidents or bankruptcy, during their contract period, the government and the Social Security Organization are obliged to pay a minimum of their expenses, and by introducing them to employment agencies, they support them until they are employed again.

The unemployment insurance situation in Iran.

In Iran, the Unemployment Insurance Fund has been providing financial assistance to workers who lose their jobs for years in order to help them return to the workforce. The process usually involves the individual being referred to the fund by the Ministry of Labor after their employment is terminated. The fund, which is under the supervision of the Social Security Organization, pays a minimum of six months’ salary to the unemployed person from the 3% contribution received from employers. Depending on their marital status and changing circumstances, the individual may receive financial assistance for a period of 36 to 50 months, as specified in the law. During this time, the unemployed person must actively seek new employment by visiting job centers and must inform the fund as soon as they are employed in order to stop receiving financial assistance. In the fourth development plan, the government was asked to reduce the duration of unemployment benefits to a maximum of 36 months. Therefore, the government was in the process of drafting a new bill to update the law in

The eighth session and the disagreement over labor laws with the government.

At the same time, some representatives of the eighth parliament, when the government presented the mentioned bill, took the initiative and passed the unemployment insurance plan in the social commission. However, despite its urgent approval, this plan still needs time to be implemented. The most significant differences between the representatives’ plan and the government’s bill are the allocation of unemployment insurance to job seekers and the reduction of the employer’s share and self-insurance of employers. According to this plan, job seekers will receive a stipend while waiting to find their desired job, and as an incentive policy, the employer’s share will decrease from three percent to two percent, and the remaining one percent will be divided between the employed individual and the government. However, there is no practical guarantee that in a recessionary environment, employers will take action to attract more labor.

Although the government and parliament have understood the necessity of changing laws regarding social security for workers and employees, the silence on this bill and the lack of implementation of other necessary conditions for the evolved and up-to-date implementation of unemployment insurance show that the concept of social insurance and social security alongside the concept of welfare state is not being fully realized.

While in developed countries, due to the fact that citizens’ taxes play a major role in providing financial resources and budget, more supportive policies are considered for the citizens, as they expect the government to be concerned about their fate in times of economic crisis with the income collected from taxes. Meanwhile, the majority of political and social power of the government is currently being spent on developing infrastructure and providing conditions for their use. However, policies such as Article 44 and targeted subsidies are still not properly implemented, and the private sector lacks the necessary confidence to participate in the market. Most importantly, due to oil revenues, the government plays the role of not only managing affairs, but also allocating budget to various sectors of society, from economy to art and sports, as both the decision-maker and implementer.

Changes in the structure of government and the ninth parliament.

In the ninth parliament, the discussion on labor laws and support for workers has not yet reached a conclusion. In addition, structural changes in the merging of ministries and the formation of the Ministry of Labor, Cooperatives, and Social Welfare have also had an impact on this issue. After the start of the ninth parliament, 22 years after the approval of the labor law, the government sent a bill to the parliament to amend 86 articles of the labor law. This bill became a major challenge between workers and employers. Based on this, the government decided to address some of the shortcomings and deficiencies through these amendments. However, labor activists believe that the amendments made to the labor law only reflect the government’s desires and have been implemented without considering the opinions of social partners. It should be noted that the labor law is one of the most important laws that has economic, social, and political aspects, and the need for its amendment and change in accordance with the country’s economic and social changes is of special

Labor law or slavery law?

The vice president of the Labor Faction of the Parliament considered the bill to amend the labor law in line with the interests of employers and said: “We do not accept this bill because it is more similar to a slavery law when looked at unilaterally.” Nader Ghazi Pour, representative of the people of Urmia, referring to the bill to amend the labor law submitted by the government to the parliament, said: “According to the Fourth Development Plan of the country, the government was obliged to amend the labor law and finally, with a significant delay, presented this bill to the parliament.” The vice president of the Labor Faction of the Parliament emphasized: “The labor law is a triangle in which the government, employer, and worker should all have a role, but in the current amendment of the labor law, labor representatives had no role and were only invited to sign the bill after it was finalized.” A member of the Industries and Mines Commission of the Parliament stated that labor representatives do not

Judgepour also added: The amendment to the labor law is mostly a law of slavery, ignoring the rights of workers. The representative of Urmia, referring to the efforts of the labor faction of the parliament to defend the rights of workers, stated: We have sworn to defend the rights of workers and we believe that the amendment to the labor law has a pro-employer perspective.

The Vice President of the Workers’ Faction of the Parliament emphasized the necessity of interacting with workers’ groups in drafting the labor law and said: “We have meetings with members of the Workers’ House and the Islamic Labor Council to carefully review the labor law and address any issues so that workers’ rights are not violated.”

New controversy between the government and the parliament

On the other hand, recent conflicts between the parliament and the government, as well as the controversy between Larijani and Ahmadinejad during the impeachment session of the Minister of Labor, have added to the situation. The impeachment, which had a long story, resulted in the dismissal of Saeed Mortazavi, the prosecutor, and the reopening of the case of Kahrizak and the events after the 2009 elections. The impeachment was first raised in the eighth parliament and was taken up again by the ninth parliament. The Supreme Court had also ruled twice for the dismissal of Mortazavi, but the government insisted on keeping him. The regulations and authorities in the cabinet were changed so that this accused person could remain in the government, and ultimately led to the approval of the impeachment of the Minister of Labor by the representatives and his dismissal. Now, the Ministry of Labor is left without a minister. The Social Security Organization is also under the control of Saeed Mortaz