Jordan Labor Watch has condemned the termination of several workers’ contracts at a business development and support company working with the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), which comes following a strike and protest by the workers, stressing the measure is in violation of Jordanian law and international conventions ratified by Jordan.
The Jordan Labor Watch, affiliated with the Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies, has issued a press release detailing the numerous rights violations committed by companies supporting NEPCO, namely the prevention of their employees’ membership to the General Trade Union of Workers in Electricity and wage levels that are insufficient to ensure adequate living standards.
In the press release, Labor Watch states the new employment policies adopted at large companies in Jordan, which have come to rely heavily on the employment of contractors, have given rise to discrimination between employees working the same jobs, as the wages and benefits extended to contract workers are low compared to those enjoyed by NEPCO staff.
According to the Labor Watch, the recent dismissals are in violation of the Jordanian Constitution, which protects the right to peaceful assembly, in addition to a broad range of international conventions ratified by Jordan, namely the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and several ILO conventions which enshrine the right to collective bargaining and trade union membership.
Workers employed by the business development company protested the rejection of their demands to be given membership to the sector union, as well as the low wage levels, the poor quality of the health insurance provided, and the refusal of benefits enjoyed by NEPCO employees working the same jobs as their sub-contracted peers.
Jordan Labor Watch further pointed out that denying workers access to copies of their annual contracts is in violation of Art. 15(a) of the Jordanian Labor Law and its amendments, and that forcing employees to sign resignations is tantamount to forced labor and in contradiction of the principle of fair compensation for workers.
The Jordan Labor Watch has called on the Ministry of Labor to enforce the law and protect the interests of workers and safeguard decent working conditions in Jordan.