Jordan Times
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
King congratulates workforce on Labour Day
AMMAN (Petra) — On the occasion of Labour Day,
which is celebrated worldwide on May 1, His Majesty King Abdullah addressed
workers in the country, congratulating them and voicing appreciation for their
efforts in enhancing Jordan’s development and progress.
In a letter sent yesterday to President of the General Federation of Trade
Unions (GFTU) Mazen Maaytah, the Monarch said vocational and technical streams
of work were still under social and cultural pressures, hampering their
development and that of the country’s comprehensive economic drive.
In light of these conditions, the King underlined the need to adopt a new labour-related
culture founded on the basis of respect for work and the importance of its
achievement and outcome.
The Monarch urged the labour unions, the associations of different businesses
and the private sector to cooperate and build a partnership to promote the
vocational capabilities of the Kingdom’s labour force, enabling them to seize
the opportunities provided by the local labour market.
He also highlighted the need to provide the Vocational Training Corporation and
the different training institutions, projects and programmes with specialised
technicians and field work experts to help them produce skillful, trained and
qualified workers.
The Monarch referred to the disturbing phenomenon of lack of respect for
workers, which has recently surfaced in some of the country’s work
establishments, describing it as alien to Jordanian, Arab and Muslim values and
traditions.
“We have seen some violations of workers’ rights, which are guaranteed by labour-related
legislation and civil rights… this should prompt the GFTU to confront them in a
democratic, legal and modern manner that preserves workers’ rights and their
accomplishments,” the King told Maaytah in the letter.
Highlighting the country’s advanced Labour Law, King Abdullah stressed the need
to safeguard the interests of all labourers, regardless of their nationality.
The King said a stable and sound work environment will encourage workers to be
loyal to their business and its interests, thus increasing its productivity.
Maaytah, also sent a letter to the King yesterday on the occasion of Labour Day,
pledging “to forge ahead with enhancing production and pushing forward the wheel
of the national economy to augment its achievements.”