Title: Major Overhaul of Government Workforce System Nears Finalization
In a significant move to reform Iran’s public sector, the government is advancing a comprehensive plan to regulate and integrate contract staff into the formal administrative structure. High-level meetings between parliamentary representatives and the Head of the State Management and Planning Organization have intensified, signaling that the long-anticipated “Workforce Organization Plan” is entering its final stages of deliberation.
A High-Priority Reform
The plan, a key priority for the current administration, aims to streamline human resource management and directly address the status of hundreds of thousands of contract employees. In a recent meeting, lawmakers and Aladdin Rafiezadeh, the Deputy President and Head of the State Management and Planning Organization, focused on critical challenges, including the regularization of contract forces, improving retirees’ livelihoods, and reforming the overall public employment structure.
MP Fada Hossein Maleki, representing Zahedan, outlined the core issues discussed, stating the need for a “unified policy and fundamental transformation” to resolve ambiguities surrounding contract workers and ensure equitable treatment.
The Path to Regularization
The proposed reform centers on eliminating intermediary companies, a system that has reportedly strayed from its original purpose of procuring specific services. Under the new plan, all qualifying contract staff would be hired directly by government agencies, either on a contractual or formal basis. This shift is expected to enhance job security and increase employees’ take-home pay by cutting out intermediary fees.
Mr. Rafiezadeh confirmed that data for approximately 700,000 contract employees has been registered in a comprehensive state system. The government is currently weighing three primary scenarios to finalize their status, including proposing a bill to the parliament or utilizing existing labor laws to facilitate the transition directly.
Broader Administrative Modernization
The workforce plan is part of a broader, six-pillar administrative reform program approved by the Supreme Administrative Council, in line with the nation’s development goals. Further measures to bolster fairness and efficiency were also announced:
- Revised Hiring Practices: Competitive hiring exams will now allocate 70% of the score to written tests and 30% to interviews to strengthen merit-based recruitment.
- Professional Appointments: A new framework for the professional appointment of managers was approved, ensuring all future appointments adhere to this standardized process.
- Direct Wage Payments: As an immediate first step, an agreement has been reached for the government to begin paying contract workers’ salaries directly, bypassing intermediary companies.
Legislative Support and Forward Momentum
The plan has received strong backing from the legislature. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has emphasized the importance of this “justice-oriented” initiative, asserting that the change in employment status should not impose a significant new financial burden on the state. He confirmed that the parliament is working closely with other governing bodies to resolve any remaining challenges and expedite the plan’s implementation.
With the foundational data collected and high-level political consensus building, the government’s transformative plan to reorganize its workforce is poised to create a more structured, equitable, and efficient public administration system.