Jordan Times
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

PM calls on associations, unions to invest in socio-economic projects

“The funds of some associations can support the national economy and ease the problems of poverty and unemployment,” he said,

As part of a series of meetings with civil society institutions he has held since the formation of his government late last year, Fayez met separately with the leaders of the country's 17 labour unions and 14 professional associations, who described their meeting with Fayez yesterday as “a step in the right direction to enhance national dialogue in the country.”

In his meeting with the associations, Fayez said the government is doing its part in addressing poverty and unemployment through several measures. He said the government plans to expand the base of beneficiaries from health insurance and unify all aid funds under one umbrella to ensure efficiency in aid distribution. Meanwhile, he added, it is preparing for a conference in the summer to draw up national strategies to face the two phenomena.

According to a recently published report by the Department of Statistics (DoS) for the year 2003, the overall unemployment rate (i.e. the number of unemployed persons divided by the number of the economically active population) among the local labour force reached 13.7 per cent for both sexes — 12.6 per cent for males and 19.3 per cent for females.

By mid-2003, the DoS reported, 12 per cent of Jordanians were below poverty line.

In response to a comment by an association president on the newly endorsed Public Assembly Law, Fayez said the legislation is meant to regulate public assemblies without treading on the freedom of citizens to organise and take part in public activities, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

Jordan Engineers Association President Wael Saqqa, whose association is considered the largest in the country, told The Jordan Times that the associations expressed their reservation over the law as it “deprives people of one of their basic rights.”

He said the associations called on the government to revise the controversial law, which stipulates that organisers of public events, rallies or marches obtain official approval from the provincial governor three days prior to the event. According to the law, unauthorised public activities are illegal and violators are punishable by prison terms and/or fines.

In both meetings, Fayez focused on his government's plan to hike prices of fuel derivatives and the sales tax as part of a package for economic correction rejected in January by the Lower House.

Minister of Finance Mohammad Abu Hammour explained the reasons that drove the government to suggest the hikes, acknowledging the measures are “tough at first but good for the future of the national economy.”

In a statement to The Jordan Times, President of the General Federation of the Labour Unions Mazen Maaytah said: “We told the premier that the government should also work with the private sector to increase the salaries of workers there,” he said.

Under the correction plan, salaries of civil servants and army and security personnel will be raised by JD5-10.

The federation vice president, Fathallah Emrani, said the unions also asked the premier to increase the minimum wage, which stands now at JD85. “Fayez promised to seriously look into the issue,” he said

Both unionists said the labour leaders encouraged the government to go ahead with its plan to organise a conference on poverty and unemployment.

Maaytah said the federation will prepare a study, to be submitted to the conference, suggesting ways to handle the twin ills.

Emrani said he asked the government to take more effective measures to combat corruption and to focus on what he described as “major corruption cases.”

Saqqa described the professional associations' meeting with the premier as “a positive one where many issues of national concern were on the discussion table.”

Despite the fact the government has its own reasons to increase fuel prices, he said, the associations still reject any increases and call on the government to consider alternative measures.

Agriculture Engineers Association President Hassan Jaber, said the associations asked the premier to amend some laws governing the work of the professional associations.

“The amendments are meant to increase the pension paid to association members and offer them more incentives,” he said.

He said the associations will keep working with the government in order to create vacancies for unemployed association members in the local market and abroad, mainly in the Arab Gulf states.

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