Page 21 - IRANRptNov20

4.3 ​Labour and income
4.3.1​ Labour market, unemployment dynamics
Iranian workers strike amid wage payment delays
Iran’s fertility rate drops to 1.7 as economy shrinks
Iranian oil and gas workers began industrial action on August 1 following delays to wage payments.
According to local media, all workers went on strike at the Abadan, Parsian and Qeshm refineries, the Lamerd petrochemical complex and South Pars gas field facilities, demanding the implementation of the job-classification law as well as overdue pay and benefits.
Radio Farda quoted contractors at Qeshm refinery as saying that their employers had failed to pay them regularly.
Meanwhile, the industrial action adds to the growing tension at Abadan refinery, where workers have protested in recent months. At complexes in Assaluyeh dedicated to phases 22 and 24 of South Pars workers have gone on strike again, with industrial action having been taken several times there over the past three years.
Despite the widespread discontent, the state-owned Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) quoted a director at Qeshm as saying that workers are seeking raises, adding that there are no issues with overdue wage payments.
That Iranian industry is struggling to pay the bills is not surprising given the multiple challenges of sanctions, soft oil demand and the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19).
However, the country’s oil and gas sector has in recent weeks sought to independently fight its way out of the current situation, with local companies contracted to develop large assets in the south-west. Tehran has made positive noises about the prospect of sanctions being lifted; however, there is little prospect of such a change while US President Donald Trump remains in office.
Speaking in mid-July, Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh was quoted by official energy industry media outlet Shana as saying: “It is true that our oil production has now decreased because of the unfair sanctions. But it will not remain like this forever. We should increase capacity so that anytime needed, we enter the market with full force and revive our share.” Zanganeh highlighted the prolific West Karoun oil region, noting that the Islamic Republic would seek to ramp up output from reservoirs shared with neighbouring Iraq.
Iran’s total fertility rate (TRF) dropped to 1.7 in the year to March 2020 from 2 in the year to March 2019. Couples continued to refrain from having children or additional children given the country’s challenging economic situation, latest data from the Statistical Centre of Iran (SCI) make clear.
The Islamic Republic’s TFR has been on a downward trajectory for more than three decades, following a massive boost seen in the years that came soon after the 1979 revolution. Efforts brought in to control the population in the 1980s and 1990s have been observed by the United Nations as “working too
21​ IRAN Country Report November 2020 www.intellinews.com