Jordan Labor Watch
On Monday, 5th of June, a number of workers employed at the Jordanian-Syrian Land Transport Company held a demonstration in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Transportation to protest not receiving their salary for the past 18 months.
Mahmoud Al-Zureiqat, a representative of the demonstrators, told Jordan Labor Watch that up to 25 administrative and technical workers have not received their salary, while approximately 70 drivers who work at the company have been receiving their wages in full. Al-Zureiqat stated that “the Ministry of Transportation promised us, on the multiple occasions where we met with them, that our salaries would be deposited - the last time we met with them was in Ramadan, but then there are always delays and false promises.” Al-Zureiqat indicated that these issues have been occurring since 2016 without an effective solution.
He further explained that the company has been undergoing a difficult financial situation as a result of the border closures between Jordan and Syria prior to the Coronavirus pandemic, as a consequence of the Syrian war, and that this financial hardship was made even worse as a result of the challenging context for the transportation sector as a whole in the aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic.
He further added that they will meet with the Minister of Transportation yet again in order to find a solution. He noted that - if their demands are not met - the demonstrations in front of the Ministry’s headquarters will continue, and that the workers will bring their case to the National Center for Human Rights and the Royal Hashemite Court.