Promises made by officials to improve wages and working conditions for mine workers following the Tabas mining disaster have yet to be fulfilled, leaving the workers’ livelihoods unchanged.
According to Kolbarews, after the deadly Tabas coal mine incident in September 2024, which claimed the lives of 53 miners, media attention once again turned to the harsh conditions and low pay of mine workers. Reports indicate these workers earn between 14 to 18 million tomans per month while working in unsafe environments.
In the aftermath, Ahmad Meydari, Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, promised in October that the issue of increasing miners’ wages would be reviewed by the Supreme Labor Council. He stressed the need for wages to reflect the high risk and hardship of the job.
However, by the end of the Persian year 1403 (March 2025), no practical steps had been taken to increase wages or eliminate intermediary contractors. Workers’ representatives had proposed reforms such as revising the job classification system and implementing a “tunnel allowance,” but none of these proposals were realized.
Mine workers continue to face harsh working conditions, meager pay, and broken promises. Their living standards remain unimproved, and concerns about their safety and financial security persist.