Laid-off Iranian workers continue to grumble that the president's vow to slash unemployment did not save their jobs, while inflation is on the rise. Economists say the government is fuelling inflation by priming the economy with petrodollars and undermining private business with interventionist policies. Trade unions exist in Iran but their power is limited and authorities quickly snuff out protests over living conditions.
See "Iranian Workers Still Waiting for Better Times", Reuters, The New York Times, July 12, 2006