Amman, Sunday, June 14,2026
Jordan Labor Watch hascalled for a comprehensive review of national labor legislation to ensure itsalignment with the provisions of the newly adopted International LabourOrganization (ILO) Convention on Decent Work in the Platform Economy (2026),the first international convention dedicated to regulating the workingconditions of platform workers and establishing standards for their protectionand fundamental rights.
The call was made in apolicy paper issued by Labor Watch, which concluded that significantlegislative and regulatory gaps exist and require urgent legal intervention tokeep pace with the rapid transformation of Jordan’s digital labor market and tocomply with the new international standards.
Labor Watch noted thatthe expansion of work through ride-hailing applications, delivery services, andvarious digital platforms over recent years has created new opportunities foremployment and income generation. However, it has also exposed growingchallenges related to social protection, wages, occupational safety and health,collective representation, as well as emerging issues associated withalgorithmic management and artificial intelligence.
The paper identifiedthe absence of a clear legal definition and classification framework forplatform workers as one of the most significant legislative gaps. This allowsdigital platforms to classify workers as independent contractors even in caseswhere platforms exercise substantial levels of supervision and control overtheir work.
Accordingly, the papercalled for amendments to the Labor Law to ensure legal recognition of platformworkers and the introduction of a legal presumption that would facilitatedetermining the existence of an employment relationship based on the actualnature of the relationship between the worker and the platform.
The paper alsohighlighted major shortcomings in extending social security coverage to mostplatform workers, stressing the need to amend relevant legislation to guaranteetheir inclusion in social protection schemes and to require platforms to contributeto social security payments for workers who rely on platform work as theirprimary source of income.
Regarding wages, thepaper warned of the lack of safeguards protecting workers from low earnings andunclear deductions. It recommended guaranteeing minimum wage protections forworkers who have an employment relationship with platforms and requiring fulltransparency regarding the calculation of wages, commissions, incentives, anddeductions.
The paper furtheremphasized that platform workers—particularly ride-hailing drivers and deliveryworkers—face significant occupational risks related to traffic accidents,adverse weather conditions, and long working hours. It therefore called fortheir explicit inclusion under occupational safety and health regulations andfor ensuring protection against work-related injuries.
In addition, the papershed light on the growing challenges associated with the use of algorithms andartificial intelligence in managing work. These systems increasingly influencetask allocation, performance evaluation, and workers’ access to employment andincome opportunities, often without legal frameworks governing their operationor ensuring transparency. The paper called for granting workers the right tounderstand how such systems affect their work and to challenge automateddecisions that may impact their earnings or continued access to work.
The paper alsoaddressed the issue of sudden account suspension or deactivation, emphasizingthat digital accounts represent workers’ primary gateway to employment andincome. It therefore called for legal safeguards preventing arbitrary accountdeactivation or contract termination and ensuring workers’ rights to appeal andseek review of such decisions.
Furthermore, the paperstressed the importance of strengthening the collective rights of platformworkers, including their right to organize and engage in collectiverepresentation. It also called for the development of effective and accessibledispute resolution mechanisms and for the adoption of clear policies to protectworkers from violence and abuse that may occur while performing their duties,including incidents involving customers.
In conclusion, LaborWatch emphasized that the adoption of the ILO Convention on Decent Work in thePlatform Economy (2026) marks a milestone in the global regulation ofplatform-based work and presents Jordan with an important opportunity tomodernize its legislative framework in a manner that safeguards the rights ofthousands of workers engaged in ride-hailing, delivery services, and otherdigital platform activities.