Amman, January 9, 2024
The Jordanian Labor Watch called on the government to intervene and halt labor violations against approximately 800 migrant workers at the "Asel" textile factory in the Sahab Industrial Zone.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Jordan Labor Watch stated that this factory employs around 800 South Asian migrant workers from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal who lack work permits and haven’t received salaries for several months.
Many workers have been employed with expired work permits for one to two years without factory management renewing their permits.
This factory is one of the largest factories in Jordan, however, it has been facing a financial crisis and has been inactive for over a month since the Jordanian owner left the country.
The consequences of this crisis extend beyond unpaid wages including harsh and unsuitable living conditions, severe water shortages, frequent power outages for extended hours, and reduced food portions to workers.
Factory management has not renewed the work permits, which has led to workers having to pay substantial fines.
Moreover, the factory announced it is unable to purchase travel tickets for the workers to return to their countries.
Jordan Labor Watch criticized the Labor Ministry stating that imposing financial penalties on the factory alone is not sufficient to safeguard workers' rights.
Comprehensive measures are needed to protect the rights of all workers, and procedures must be developed to ensure these rights and prevent the recurrence of similar crises in the future.
The General Union of Workers in Spinning and Textiles prioritized paying all workers' salaries and ensuring their social security rights.
They called for exempting workers from fines and providing travel tickets for their return to their home countries.