The discussion of changing the weekly day off for workers has turned into one of the contentious issues between the production sector and labor organizations. While the Iran Chamber of Commerce is calling for legal reforms for greater flexibility for employers, labor activists warn against any encroachment on the acquired rights of the workforce.
View of the Chamber of Commerce: The Necessity of Amending Article 62
Keyvan Kashafi, a member of the board of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, proposed a temporary amendment to Article 62 of the Labor Law to explain the private sector's viewpoint. He stated: "We can temporarily grant employers the authority to rotate holidays by amending Article 62 of the Labor Law. In this case, employers' hands will be freed to adapt to energy imbalances, and the losses of production units will be reduced." Kashafi emphasized the government's responsibility and added: "According to Article 25 of the Business Environment Improvement Law, the government must compensate employers harmed by holidays due to energy imbalances."
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Response from the Labor Community: Workers' Rights Are Not a Tool to Compensate Economic Imbalances
Somayeh Golpour, a labor activist, articulated the legal and fundamental positions of the labor community in response to these statements. She said: "The proposed suggestion, in addition to conflicting with the principles of the Labor Law, represents a significant disregard for the economic challenges faced by workers." Golpour, referring to Mr. Kashafi's citation of Article 25 of the Business Environment Improvement Law, stated: "This law explicitly obligates the government and the Ministry of Energy to assess and compensate the losses of production units in the event of power and gas outages. The main question is why the Chamber of Commerce focuses on changing the living conditions of workers instead of demanding compensation for the costs arising from the lack of energy infrastructure development from the government?"
She emphasized the legal status of Friday in labor rights, stating: "Article 62 of the Labor Law is a protective and mandatory principle that aligns with the International Labor Organization conventions (including numbers 14 and 106) regarding weekly rest. The proposed plan could be an attempt to circumvent this legal right and reduce the costs of production line stoppages by working on holidays."
Golpour also referred to the economic situation of workers, saying: "In a situation where, according to the calculations of the livelihood basket, the minimum wage does not even cover the costs of the first 10 days of the month for a three-person household, raising the issue of limiting rights contradicts the realities of workers' lives." She further warned about the biological consequences of this decision: "Rotating weekly holidays disrupts the biological rhythm of the worker and leads to burnout."
Somayeh Golpour emphasized: "Encroaching on Article 62 and changing weekend holidays is a red line for the livelihood and humanity of the workforce, and any attempt to change it will face legal resistance and opposition from labor organizations at various levels."
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