As a result of a bid to dissolve the body responsible for distributing shares resulting from the privatization of Iranian state companies, workers in the country have not received their promised "Justice Shares".

The distribution of shares from the accelerated privatization program was one of the key economic policies of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during his first term in office.

Under the present interpretation of Article 44 of Iran's Constitution, hundreds of state-owned companies have been privatized with some of the shares being earmarked for distribution among 'deprived' classes, such as farmers and workers.

"In the first tranche, Justice Shares were distributed among 23 million villagers, and many rural workers have benefited under this scheme," said Economy Minister Shamsuldin Hosseini.

"Many workers in the service and contractor companies that were cooperating with state bodies have also received Justice Shares," he added.

However, those who represent workers beg to differ.

"Workers are still waiting for Justice Shares, while they are among the low-income groups of society, and must be given priority in the allocation of supporting services," ILNA quoted Ali Akbar Eyvazi, a member of the Tehran Province Forum of Islamic Labor Councils, as saying.

Valiollah Salehi, another workers' representative, echoed Eyvazi's remarks, emphasizing that a majority of workers have not received Justice Shares.

"At present, only working women who are in charge of families, and the pensioners who receive social welfare benefit from these shares," Salehi said.

This is while a former deputy labor minister under President Ahmadinejad had admitted that many workers were receiving wages as much as 50 percent below the minimum legal wage, which was itself well under the poverty line.

According to ILNA, "While unwritten directives required statements of an end to the labor crises and satisfaction of workers with their wages, they could never enter taboo subjects such as workers' protest meetings and the causes of spreading protests in this class," still Ali-Akbar Tahaei courageously entered this forbidden arena.

He has admitted that in Qom Province, tens of thousands of matriculated workers were receiving less than $80 a month, which was less than half the legal minimum wage.

Under such circumstances, receiving the Justice Shares can be of great help to such workers. However, with millions still in line, the company seeing to the distribution of the shares is itself in line for liquidation by the end of September.

This is while there are no guarantees that the Justice Shares will bear any dividends since some of the privatized companies are almost insolvent, and some economists have termed them "Loss Shares."

ZAP/HGH/AA