Iran human rights Activists in Iran reported that in the past 12 months, at least 813 workers died as a result of work place accidents due to the lack of safe working environments or work conditions. In addition to 813 deaths, 1,486 work-related injuries were also reported by the media. Despite these significant statistics, it should be noted that due to the lack of transparency of managerial institutions and authorities, many labor related incidents do not find their way to the media.
According to Daryoush Panahizadeh, the Deputy Director of Occupational Medicine and Medical Commissions of the Social Security Organization’s General Directorate, there were more than 30,000 work-related incidents last year although the number of accidents were higher in workshops under the East Tehran General Office.
“Last year more than 30,000 workers had accidents most of which were related to their hands and fingers,” he added.
According to official statistics on work-related accidents, 40 percent of the accident cases happen as a result of unsafe workplaces while more than 100 people become maimed on a daily basis.
Reports also indicate that Iran ranked 102 in terms of worker safety among all the countries in the world, which is a very low rating…
The minimum wage in 2017 for workers in Iran was 930 thousand tomans (about 220USD). This is despite the fact that, according to official statistics, the minimum wage for workers has to be 2 million and 500 thousand tomans (about 595USD) to be above the line of poverty. Therefore, there is a deep gap between the basket of goods and workers’ minimum wage. The prohibition of child labor and the provision of free education, the establishment of high safety standards in working environments, and the elimination of discriminatory laws for women and migrant workers are some of the problems that workers in Iran face.
Iranian women are described as the cheapest in the workforce and face more problems than their male counterparts. This is while women workers have less bargaining power than their male counterparts and manufacturing and industrial units are reluctant to hire married women, and in some cases employ single women who have pledged not to marry and get pregnant.
The situation of women workers in workshops is far worse. Half of the workers in brick making factories are women who work in very difficult circumstances.
