The Jordan Labor Watch called on the government to urgently intervene to stop the decision of a garment factory in Al-Hassan Industrial Estate in Irbid Governorate to terminate the services of 38 male and female workers from Jerash and Ajloun governorates.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Jordan Labor Watch said that the factory's decision came under the pretext of reducing workers' transportation costs and mitigating financial losses, but it carries negative consequences on the workers' livelihoods and their families.
It pointed out that most of the workers affected by the decision are women who declare their families and have worked in the factory for many years, which makes the decision to dismiss them unfair.
The Jordan Labor Watch pointed out that the garment industry in Jordan enjoys wide government facilities, which makes it imperative for it to abide by its responsibilities towards its workers and society.
The Jordan Labor Watch called on the government to include workers in this sector in the decisions to raise the minimum wage to ensure a decent life for them, especially since their current salaries range between 220 and 350 dinars, levels that do not meet the minimum living needs.
The statement added that among the workers covered by the dismissal decision is a woman who is seven months pregnant - according to the workers - which violates the text of Article (27) of the Labor Law, which prohibits the termination of the services of a pregnant woman starting from the sixth month of her pregnancy.
The Jordan Labor Watch called on the government and the relevant authorities to take action to ensure that the factory management retracts its decision to dismiss the workers.
For its part, The General trade Union of Workers in Textile, Garment & Clothing Industries confirmed that it wrote to the factory's management to retract its decision, but was rejected.
The union said it demanded that the factory abide by the law and compensate the workers in proportion to their years of service, adding that it will take legal action by filing a lawsuit if the issue is not resolved.
In its statement, the Jordan Labor Watch stressed the need to take practical steps to guarantee the rights of workers in the garment sector, which receives great facilities from the government, and to highlight the importance of balancing the interest of companies and the stability of workers' livelihoods, in order to enhance the work environment and productivity in this vital sector.