HRANA – In a report on the difficulties faced by construction workers in the country, the Iranian Labor News Agency stated that since the Hijri year 1404, these workers have been confronted with new challenges such as widespread unemployment due to the war, lack of job security, insurance-related problems, and the absence of adequate government support.

According to HRANA, citing ILNA, the country’s construction workers are facing widespread crises. According to the report, in the Hijri 1404 year, construction workers have experienced one of the most difficult periods of their working and living conditions. Over the past year, they have faced worsening problems such as mass unemployment caused by the war, lack of job security, an insurance crisis, and the absence of effective state support.

Many workers have also become unemployed following the reduction or suspension of construction projects because of the war. Given the daily-wage nature of construction work, the shutdown of projects even for a few days can significantly worsen the serious livelihood difficulties faced by these citizens.

The report further points to the failure to allocate sufficient insurance quotas to construction workers and the deprivation of many of their Social Security insurance rights, stating:

“More than two years after the amendment to Article 5 of the Construction Workers’ Insurance Law was passed, and despite officials’ promises to resolve the workers’ insurance problem, the plan has still not reached a satisfactory outcome. Construction workers pay only 7% of the insurance premium, while the remaining 27.5% must be financed through construction levies and employers’ contributions. However, difficulties in securing these resources have disrupted the full implementation of the Construction Workers’ Insurance Law.”

Strict inspections by the Social Security Organization and the termination of insurance coverage are another major problem for these workers. Despite expectations that such inspections would cease following the amendment to Article 5, this has not happened, and in some cases inappropriate treatment of workers has also been reported.

In addition to the above, rising living costs, inflation, and reduced job opportunities have further intensified workers’ livelihood problems, leaving many unable to meet their basic needs.

According to HRA’s annual report, in 1404 there were reports of delayed or unpaid wages amounting to at least 672 months across 188 industrial-service units, 2,457 dismissals or workforce reductions, 658 cases of unemployment, 560 months without worker insurance, 9 factory closures, and 2,259 workers left in limbo in the labor sector.