Employment
The Labour Code 1990 and the Islamic labour councils
The Labour Code 1990 governs private employment, with dispute boards rather than ordinary courts hearing most claims. Independent trade unions are not permitted; representation runs through Islamic labour councils.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National. Public sector employment is governed separately by the Civil Service Management Law.
Governing law
- Labour Code 1369/1990
- Social Security Law 1354/1975
In practice
The code sets a 44-hour week, annual leave, and a minimum wage set each year by the Supreme Labour Council. Dismissal requires the agreement of the Islamic labour council or a determination by a dispute settlement board, and reinstatement is a real remedy. Enforcement is uneven, and workers on short-term contracts — a very large share of the workforce — have materially weaker protection in practice. ILO supervisory bodies have repeatedly raised the absence of freedom of association, which is the structural feature that distinguishes Iranian labour relations from the codes it otherwise resembles.