Jordan Times
Friday, April 4, 2008
Ministry updates ‘Golden List’
rules
By Hani Hazaimeh
AMMAN - The Ministry of Labour has set new eligibility criteria for its Golden
List, which includes QIZ employers that abide by best practices regarding labour
rights.
The new instructions are aimed to motivate employers in these industrial estates
to adhere to strict criteria governing labour conditions in factories, including
working hours, overtime pay, leaves and working conditions, in line with the
Labour Law and international standards, Labour Ministry's Director of Inspection
Amin Wreidat told The Jordan Times on Thursday.
The regulations apply to all factories, but only employers who prove in complete
compliance with the rules will be added to the honour list. They will benefit
from certain privileges, including the exemption from a bank guarantee that
ranges between JD30,000 and JD75,000, depending on the size of labour at the
factory.
The instructions were announced on Wednesday and will go into effect as of May
2.
According to the updated rules, overtime hours should not exceed four hours even
if workers agree to do more time. And in case there were any substantiated
complaints that a certain employer is delaying monthly payments, the company
will be automatically disqualified from the competition for the Golden List.
Other taboos include child labour, physical and sexual abuse of workers and
forced labour, Wreidat explained.
In addition, the new rules stipulate that the maximum amount deducted from the
employee’s salary for accommodation and food should not exceed 23 per cent of
the basic pay. The size of the deduction, which has so far differed from one
employer to another, has been a source of disagreement between labourers and
their employers and on several occasions led to strikes, which developed
sometimes to riots and acts of sabotage.
He said that employers must include 100 per cent accurate data when they fill in
the form. In case of any violation in this regard, he said, the application will
be cancelled and will not be renewed for six months.
Under the new instructions, the ministry no longer sets as a condition the
appointment of occupational health specialists to ensure a healthy environment
inside QIZ factories. Firms are only required to appoint a full-time doctor.
Wreidat attributed the loosened condition to the shortage in qualified personnel
in occupational health.
Meanwhile, under the older regulations, employers seeking to hire foreign
workers from a certain country only needed the approval of that country’s
embassy, but now they are required to present a documented consent of the labour
ministry of the source country.
Wreidat stressed that the new changes to the Golden List criteria were drafted
in consultation with QIZ investors and the Jordan Garments, Accessories and
Textiles Exporters Association and Foreign Investors Association.
A report issued by the US-based National Labour Committee in May last year
accused employers in these zones of serious abuses of foreign workers' rights.
The amendments, according to Wreidat, would help entrench a culture of respect
for workers’ rights.
Labour Ministry records indicate that a total of 42 companies have already been
added to the honour list since it was established in June last year.
Companies wishing to join the list should forward an official letter to the
labour minister, along with the payroll, a copy of the employment contract and
an auditors report.
Applicants should also provide the ministry with documents showing that all
employees are subscribed to social security and that they have valid work
permits.