Iran's labour minister says the wages of 700,000 contract workers will be paid without intermediaries

Ahmad Meidari, Iran's minister of cooperatives, labour and social welfare, said on Thursday, 30 July 2026 (8 Mordad 1405), during a visit to Assaluyeh, that 700,000 workers currently work with the government under contractor arrangements, and that under a new cabinet decision the wages of all of these staff will be paid to them directly, without intermediaries. The report was carried by the IRNA news agency.

Setting out the cabinet's decision on regulating contractor staff, Meidari said standard contracts have been designed for these workers so that the employment relationship becomes more transparent and payments follow a defined mechanism. He said staffing supply companies will not be eliminated, because of certain specialised and shared services they provide, but that their fees and intermediation margins must be controlled and standardised within defined frameworks.

The minister added that in past years the wages of contractor staff were in some cases paid late, and that one consequence was additional incidental costs for the workers. He said direct payment increases transparency and reduces the scope for delays and intermediation costs. Meidari also cited Article 38 of the Labour Law, stressing the principle of equal pay for equal work. His visit to Assaluyeh was made to inspect damage to industries located in the South Pars complex.