Jordan Labor Watch expresses its disappointment in the decision to exclude private sector workers from voting day holiday on the day of elections for municipal councils and provincial councils. The Jordan Labor Watch condemns this decision, which deprives thousands of employees in the private sector from exercising their electoral rights, as they were not explicitly included in the decision to make election day an official holiday for workers in the public sector. Jordan Labor Watch asserts that this amounts to discrimination against private sector workers, especially within the context of the previous week’s decisions to delay working hours due to inclement weather conditions.
The Jordan Labor Watch stresses the need for the Jordanian government to include private sector workers in these decisions. Jordan Labor Watch believes that this decision contradicts the government's goal to have citizens to participate actively in the elections, as this will limit the voter turnout as many private sector workers - especially since many employers do not grant their workers paid time off. It also points to the difficulty of inter-provincial mobility for those outside the governorates in which they reside, making it impossible for them to participate in the electoral process. Jordan Labor Watch calls on the government to guarantee workers in the private sector their right to vote by including them in official holidays for election days.