The decisions were adopted by the Oil Industry
Administrative and Employment Council and cover welfare assistance, housing
loans, pension arrangements, specialized work allowances and performance-based
payments, Bovard told Shana, the Petroleum Ministry’s news service.
Bovard said the measures reflect the importance of human
resources in expanding oil and gas production, ensuring reliable energy
supplies and rebuilding damaged facilities.
Under the new measures, the council approved increases in
non-repayable social assistance, living-cost support and rehabilitation
benefits, as well as a significant increase in grants for organ transplants. It
also revised mechanisms for adjusting housing loans for home purchases,
upgrades and repairs.
The council also approved rules for transferring insurance
records and pension contributions between retirement funds, taking into account
an appropriate interest rate at the time of transfer.
Support for veterans and personnel affected by the US/Israel
war on Iran was another focus. The measures extend certain service-related
allowances to eligible oil industry veterans and introduce marriage grants
under legislation supporting veterans, in addition to existing benefits.
Other decisions aim to align compensation with employees’
responsibilities, expertise and working conditions. They include higher fees
for part-time and hourly consultants, revised teaching fees based on the nature
and quality of training courses, and expanded expert fees for specialist,
research, technology and industrial advisory groups.
For operational and specialized roles, the council approved
extending certain security and weapons-carrying allowances to eligible contract
workers, while broadening eligibility for hardship allowances in major
production and processing centers.
An allowance previously associated with export operations
and repairs at the Azarpad marine jetty will also be extended to eligible
employees at the Jask terminal and the Siraf gas condensate loading terminal.
The council will examine whether the benefit can be expanded to other jetties
in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
The package also provides for research allowances for
specialized applied research conducted outside regular working hours. Employees
will be allowed to carry forward up to 15 days of unused annual leave each year
without a service-length restriction, while all accumulated leave may be paid
out when employment ends.
The council also addressed performance-based bonuses. Bovard
said arrangements would be made for oil industry employees to receive such
payments once the government’s relevant decree is issued, in line with the
administration’s policy of tying compensation more closely to performance and
productivity.
Bovard said developing the oil industry required investment
not only in fields, equipment and facilities, but also in retaining, training
and motivating its workforce.
He added that the ministry had instructed its human
resources and management development department and affiliated companies to
pursue longer-term plans for housing, healthcare and insurance services, and
expanded welfare and sports facilities for current and retired employees.
The aim, he said, is to deliver lasting improvements in
employees’ quality of life and satisfaction, while strengthening motivation
across the workforce and their families.