Iran’s minister of labour resigned on Tuesday after coming under heavy criticism for his handling of problems involving the labour market and pensions, which prompted widespread protests over the past several weeks.
Minister of Co-operatives, Labour and Social Welfare Hojjatollah Abdolmaleki sent his resignation letter to President Ebrahim Raisi on Tuesday, the Tasnim news agency reported.
Protests were reported in at least 40 cities and towns across Iran over the past several weeks over economic matters, with many demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans and calling for the fall of the regime.
The bulk of the protesters consisted of pensioners and retired government employees who have called for a significant increase in pensions to offset rising prices amid the country's growing economic woes.
The Ministry of Labour, Welfare and Social Security said earlier this month it was increasing pensions by 57.4 per cent to 55.8 million Iranian rials ($177) a month. But pensioners say it is too little and too late to cope with years of inflation.
Iran has experienced a string of protests in recent weeks against rising food prices and following a deadly building collapse, which demonstrators blamed on negligence and corruption.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Iran’s parliament issued its first “yellow card” of this year’s session to Industry and Trade Minister Reza Fatemi-Amin after members of the consultative assembly said they were not satisfied with his answers during questioning.
Iran’s parliament gives out symbolic “yellow cards", also known as warning cards, to ministers who fail to convince MPs with their responses when they are summoned to parliament over a particular issue or their performance.
Under parliamentary regulations, a minister who receives three yellow cards can be impeached.
Earlier this week, Iran’s currency dropped to its lowest value as talks to revive the country’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers remained deadlocked.
Traders in Tehran on Sunday exchanged the rial at 332,000 to the US dollar, up from 327,500 on Saturday. That marked more than a 4.4 per cent change compared with June 1, when it traded at 318,000 to the dollar.
In central Tehran, dozens of shop owners took to the streets in protest against the economic situation, after many shut their businesses following a recent rise in business taxes. Videos posted on social media showed security forces clashing with the striking shopkeepers and breaking shop windows in the capital.
