The Jordanian Labor Watch welcomed the proposed amendments to the Agricultural Workers Law, especially the repeal of Article 15, which excluded male and female workers employed by employers in the agricultural sector who employ three or fewer workers from a number of their rights to social security, holidays, vacations, and working hours.
This amendment is a positive step towards strengthening the social protection system in Jordan and will contribute to achieving the contents and objectives of the axes of the National Social Protection Strategy, especially the first axis entitled "Opportunity.”.
The Jordanian Labor Watch pointed out that Article 15 of the current Agricultural Workers Law deprives many workers in the agricultural sector of their basic labor rights, especially those who work in small agricultural holdings that often employ no more than three workers, noting that the repeal of this article will contribute to improving working conditions for thousands of workers in the agricultural sector, which plays a central role in enhancing food security in Jordan.
The Jordanian Labor Watch believes that this amendment must be accompanied by an amendment to Article 59 of the Social Security Law, which allows workers in agricultural holdings to be covered by work injury and maternity insurance only until a decision is issued by the Council of Ministers to cover them with all insurances, which is contrary to the proposed amendments to the Agricultural Workers Law, which aims to cover all agricultural workers with all insurances covered by the provisions of the Social Security Law.
This also creates a conflict in the legal references when covering agricultural workers with social security, as according to the legislative hierarchy, the law takes precedence over regulations in application.
The Jordanian Labor Watch indicated that there is currently an opportunity to amend Article (59) of the Social Security Law in a manner consistent with the proposed amendments to the agricultural workers' system, especially since the draft law amending the Social Security Law of 2024 is still open for discussion.
The Jordanian Labor Watch also called for the urgency of issuing the necessary instructions to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the law, as stipulated in Article (17) of the law.