Esfand Aashena

Notice the "new working hours".

What are the new working hours? What were the previous working hours?  We don't know.

Also, if we're going to compare apples and oranges, how many Governors in the West do we know that call hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of Government workers; lazy asses? as this guy is doing.

Bottom line I tend not to believe what this guy is saying as is the case of not believing most of what they say.  This "law" is brand new.  Let's see if we hear more about it, if not then probably this wasn't as; workers spending "most" of their time cooking! 

Everything is sacred

Office discipline = ending subsidies = Kourosh the Basiji!

Divaneh jaan these are just slogans.  They're not ending anything it is just another smoke screen.  If the "office workers" were cooking half of the day then they didn't have anything to do!  If they have nothing to do the right thing is to fire them.  So now by cutting their cooking you're increasing their "productivity" and giving them "discipline"?!

They're just going to spend their time on something else, maybe play backgammon or cards!  The donkey is the same donkey, only the saddle hss changed!  You are just looking at the surface.

People are working 12 - 16 hours a day and get paid for less than 8 hours/day.  If you cut their lunch hour are you giving them more or equal money for 8 hours/day? No because that's now how they treat workers in Iran.  They treat workers like shit!  It is not like they're cooking for 13 bedar and life is good!   

Everything is sacred

I am not comparing anything Esfand Jaan

I am just saying that I support this initiative of no cooking at working hours. I know private companies in Iran where they just cook and eat and drink a good portion of the working hours. Bribing the officials for juicy projects of course give them the luxury of doing so. This does not help the country's productivity.

If they work long and if the pay is no good then some action needs to be taken but here we are talking about office discipline.

Divaneh jaan you're comparing apples and oranges!

It's not a straight one to one comparison or work place in West and Iran for third world countries for that matter.  Many office workers are paid in peanuts and they're kidding themselves that they have a "job" that won't even pay their rent much less food and other necessities!  They need a second job to cover for the loss! 

Also, those who don't have a Government job have private jobs in retail and have to work 12 - 16 hours a day and sell just a few things.  When you walk in the streets you see how hard it is to make a living with the jobs available, high ranking thieves notwithstanding.

This "warm lunch" was the only highlight of their day and now it's all gone!  Now they have nothing to look forward to, not even a day doing anything!  Many of these jobs are subsidies!  Oh well, we'll have to wait and see what happens when this becomes an actual law.  Let's see if it will get burried in a page at the bottom again. 

Everything is sacred

I just heard that cooking food in the office

Is done in LA by some Iranians. I just heard an example of it.

Lol Faramarz

That was very funny. Thanks for sharing this news Esfand jaan. I support AN on this one all the way. Iranian office culture needs a shake up.

Esfand, year after revolution,students did not want to take test

I remember that it was school year 1358-1359.  In my high school class which included almost all good students, the new revolutionary move was to tell teachers that we were not ready for the test. Many times during the year, we did that. The year after that, we were told that women should teach girls so we threw out bad women teachers, again another revolutionary move. These are besides the times that school would take studets to participate in demonstrations in support of "geroogan geeri", we would add our own requests such as better cafe teria food and having "shoora" in school.

There were no tents on sidewalks at Norooz during Shah's time!

And we didn't throw out as much trash in the outdoors.  Cooking at work and taking siestas maybe, but not the other ones and not as rampant.

It is actually a saying in the streets of Tehran, azadiyeh digeh! 

Everything is sacred

Oh No ..... not this one

" Besides this was one of the freedoms and fruits of the revolution!  Camping on sidewalks during holidays and throwing your trash out next to someone else's tent, crossing red lights, cooking at work, these are all freedoms you can't find in other parts of the world!  "

 Oh No ..... not this one Esfand

You are absolutely wrong on this .... it is Iranian Tradition ..... We have been gifted with this during SHAH as well ....... and we have kept this wonderful tradition in us ........ wherever we live .. East ..... West ...... planet earth or on the moon ........ 

Faramarz jaan is right! Not all wives cook for their husbands!

Besides what about the wives themselves?  They need to have lunch too!  What about the food workers in these offices?  What will happen to those who worked in cafeterias?

Work kitchens in offices in Iran are different than here.  They have oven and everything!  Microwave don't get the food as warm, delicious and mouth burning!

Besides this was one of the freedoms and fruits of the revolution!  Camping on sidewalks during holidays and throwing your trash out next to someone else's tent, crossing red lights, cooking at work, these are all freedoms you can't find in other parts of the world! 

Everything is sacred

Esfand jan, this is so hilarious. Thanks

This is so funny. Partiularly the fact that paper says that employees spend most of their time preparing food. I had noticed this with my parents that significant portion of the day revolves around preparation of food, but they are retired.

I have to ask some people who worked in Iran during IRI whether this is true. Somehow I have a hard time believing it. Many guys probably bring to work food that their wives, mothers, etc. made for them the night before. Some might go out.  If this was the case and it went on for years, it is incredible. By the way, since warm food is now forbidden, so IRI is like soup Nazi.

Farmaraz ,

U R  sooooo funny  : )

یک روز معمولی در وزارت راه و ترابری!

The best part of this notice is “preparation and making of the food is prohibited!”

So, on a typical day, an employee does his shopping on the way to work, gets to the office, turn the computer on, checks the emails, chitchats with the guys in the other cubicles and then grabs the knife from a drawer and, turmeric and salt and paper next to the stapler behind Ahmadinejad’s picture and heads to the kitchen!

In the kitchen, he starts his Khoresht Gheymeh by frying the onions. Then the Director of HR comes in and asks him if he could borrow an onion for his Koobideh! He gets the Khoresht going, puts it on low and goes to the conference room for a staff meeting. At around 10:30, he excuses himself and rushes to the kitchen to check the Khoresht and get the rice started.

At 11:00, he jumps on the conference call, but half-way into the call, he puts the phone on mute and runs to the kitchen to make sure that Tahdig is not burning! And so it goes!

No more Laboos (steamed beets) or Ash Reshteh (national soup :-)

Everything is sacred

What?? no more siestas?! What's next no more noon prayers?!

Everything is sacred

No more sosis (hot dogs) or meatball subs either!

When I was a kid I used to take warm lunches to school in my ghablameh (lunch boxes that kept food warm).  I mentioned it in my Muhammad Ali blog. 

Now they don't want you to bring warm food, even in your own lunch box, presumably because the smell may create a riot!  Again remember they say workers (all workers) were spending "most" of their time worrying about the warm lunch one way or another!

This could be the basis for the next protest and rally day against the regime! 

Everything is sacred

So you want public employees to take time from work

and cook a two and a half hour "khorosht bademjoon?!!"  This is a good idea.  We should finally wake up and adopt good work ethics.  While they're at it, they should get rid of the "afternoon siesta" break as well.  Nine to five working hours with no messing around.    

yes, the wording is

yes, the wording is silly.  you can find a lot of bad grammar on banners or even newspapers in iran.  but i think the bottom line is that the budget for these services is very high and unnecessary.  moral of the story: the sanctions are having some positive effects even for the iranian government in the form of more efficient spending (or cutting of spending) in some areas.  and with more reforms they may be eligible to receive loans from the i.m.f. :)

It isn't just about "serving" u cant prepare ur own food either!

In the front page section it says "preparing, cooking, distribution and eating warm food is prohibited"! 

Then on the second line it says all cafeterias will be closed!

Everything is sacred

I am all for this actually

I am all for this actually ....... come on ...... no one serves us warm food here at work ....... unless you work for Google company !!

In related news Ham sandwich is now Halal in Iran!

Everything is sacred