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Embassy of Jordan- Washington, DC
Information Bureau
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Economic & Commerce Bureau
Tel: 202 262 4436
Email: info@jordanecb.org
The Government of Jordan Responds to a Case Filed by the AFL-CIO and the National Textile Association
(September 25, 2006, Amman, Jordan)
– In response to the worker rights case which was filed on the 21st of September by the AFL-CIO and the National Textile Association (NTA), the Jordanian government wishes to state the following:
The government of Jordan is surprised and dismayed by the actions of the AFL-CIO and the National Textile Association. As both organizations are aware, the Jordanian government, Labor Unions and other stakeholders including the private sector, have been actively engaged with the National Labor Commission (NLC) and the AFL-CIO since the 3rd of May, when the allegations that form the basis of this case were first brought to our attention by the NLC.
We would like to reiterate the government of Jordan’s position that we take these allegations very seriously and will not tolerate any labor violations against our guest workers and take all steps necessary to ensure the treatment of guest workers is in accordance with international standards. In fact, as the AFL-CIO and NTA acknowledge in their brief, the government of Jordan – after a full-scale investigation – has taken numerous measures to rectify violations where they exist. During the past three months five factories were shut down, and more than one-thousand workers were relocated from 14 factories that were found to be in violation of Jordan’s labor laws, to factories with better working conditions. In addition, the immigration status of 1275 illegal guest workers was rectified in order to ensure their full rights under our labor laws.
The Ministry of Labor emphasized that it is currently taking all necessary measures to ensure fair treatment of foreign workers while regulating the working conditions in factories in order to meet the highest international standards of transparency and accountability. To achieve this several steps were taken. The number of inspectors was increased from 80 to 180, and hotlines were also installed in seven different languages to handle and manage the complaints of foreign workers. Finally, outside auditors were commissioned to audit company records with respect to wages.
As the AFL-CIO and the NTA are also aware, new measures have been introduced to ensure maximum compliance with articles stipulated in the Jordanian Labor Law as well as under the labor provisions of the Jordan-US FTA.
The Ministry of Labor has also developed, with assistance from the International Labor Organization (ILO), an action plan that further addresses all issues pertaining to guest workers, including Labor Law enforcement issues. In addition, the Ministry has collaborated with USAID to identify the necessary short-term and long-term measures for combating worker exploitation.
As communicated earlier to the AFL-CIO, an agreement has been reached with the Jordanian General Federation of Labor Unions to establish offices in the industrial zones to work on promoting the protection of guest workers in Jordan by establishing guest workers’ committees. These committees are seen as a transition step to protect these workers until the current debated legal framework under consideration, is in place in the near future. The government of Jordan is currently working on amending all relevant labor laws with the private sector and labor unions to ensure the maximum protection of workers’ rights.
Finally, the Jordanian government has already taken action with respect to criminal prosecution of labor violations through the referral of two cases of abuse by the Prosecutor General. The first case involved the abuse of Bangladeshi workers, and the second involved non-payment of wages and overtime to guest workers. Meanwhile, more cases are under investigation by the Prosecutor General.
The Jordanian government and its Ministry of Labor have been forthright in their determination to raise labor conditions in Jordan up to the highest international standards.
Regrettably, the AFL-CIO and the NTA decided to file their case just days after labor conditions in Jordan were vigorously scrutinized and further remedial steps were agreed upon prior and during the 3rd Joint Committee meeting of the Jordan-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA), held in Amman.
We value the contributions of foreign guest workers to our economic development and we will continue to take all necessary steps to improve working conditions in Jordan .
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