Teachers to Stage A General Strike?
Roozonline- Kaveh Khalagh - 2007.01.25
A group of Iranian teachers will gather in front of the Majlis (Iran’s Parliament) building today to protest Ahmadinejad Administration’s efforts to recall a wage raise bill from the Majlis. Rooz Online spoke to Ali Akbar Baghani, president of Iran Teachers Association regarding this. Baghani warns that teachers will stage a general strike if the administration recalls the bill.
Rooz (R): It seems very likely that the administration will recall the bill. Ali Akbar Baghani (Baghani): If it recalls the bill we will go on strike. The Minister of Oil said that he would shut down the pipelines; we say that we would shut down our classes, until our wages reach the level of oil workers. Teachers from all over the country are ready to come to Tehran, and we are ready to go on a general strike if the government does not address our concerns.
R: What did the teachers receive from the president’s promise to ‘distribute the oil wealth?’ Baghani: We didn’t even smell the wealth, let alone see any of it. Our income has gone down during this period. Even the teachers who supported the administration no longer do. Teachers get paid 2,780 thousand rials (about 320 U.S. dollars) a month, which is the lowest salary amount among all government agencies. We even get the lowest bonuses, not enough to buy a few pounds of pistachios. If you want to adjust for inflation, this year we should have been paid 17 million riyals (about 1,950 U.S. dollars) in bonuses alone.
R: The average salary for a teacher is 2,780 thousand rials (about 320 USD). But the poverty line is calculated at 5,430 thousand rials (about 625 USD). How do you live like that?Baghani: Most teachers have other jobs in addition to teaching. Our minister is a populist. He doesn’t have any managerial experience. He is a regular engineer, retired, tired, and without a deep understanding of the philosophy behind education and culture. Actually, 80 percent of those working in the educational administration have no experience in this field. They have politicized the educational system. Instead of an expert group, a political group is controlling the educational system.
R: You are protesting in front of the Majlis. How is your relationship with Majlis deputies? Baghani: We will defend the stance of Majlis deputies. Mr. Haji Babai, Noei Aghdam, Haghshenas and others support the bill. In any rate, their future is tied to the upcoming elections.
Rooz: So the Majlis is more supportive of your demands? Baghani: In this particular instance, yes. Majlis deputies are more concerned with our demands because of the next elections, and also because of the efforts they spent on writing this bill. Majlis deputies are wiser than people in the administration. Officials in the administration are good for running a school, not a country. But, because of their experience in the legislature, many Majlis deputies understand the issues better.