Gov’t mulls further measures to regulate labour market

AMMAN — The Labour Ministry said on Sunday it is considering taking further measures to regulate the labour market, including the intensification of night labour inspections at commercial establishments. 

Secretary General of the Ministry of Labour Hani Khleifat said in a press statement that the decision comes in light of the concerns voiced by citizens across the Kingdom, who warned of the intention of several establishments to hire children and migrant workers without a permit during the night shifts.  

“Social responsibility falls on everyone,” the secretary general stressed, calling on all citizens to “stand with the decisions of the Ministry of Labour aimed at controlling and regulating the Jordanian labour market”. 

The ministry also announced the continuation of its joint labour inspection campaigns in all industrial, commercial, service and agricultural establishments across the Kingdom. 

The inspections come in accordance with a comprehensive plan developed by the ministry in coordination with the inspection authorities in order to verify the compliance of both employers and workers with the Labour Law, according to the statement. 

The ministry also said that the inspection will focus on the establishments’ compliance with Article 12 of the Labour Law, which prohibits the employment of non-Jordanian workers prior to the issuance of a valid work permit by the Ministry of Labour. 

The ministry will take legal actions against both employers and workers who are found in violation of the law during the inspections, officials warned. 

In August this year, Director of the Labour Ministry’s Inspection Department Mnawar Abu Al Ghanem announced that a total of 4,987 migrant workers had been deported since the beginning of the year due to violations of the provisions of the Labour Law,

The deportation of workers came as a result of over 56,000 labour inspection visits aimed at ascertaining the extent to which employers commit to the Labour Law, Al Ghanem said, noting that, in addition to the expulsion of migrant workers, a total of 2,845 violations of the Labour Code were recorded, resulting in 420 closure warnings.

In addition to the labour inspections, a total of 5,542 extra visits focusing on child labour prevention were also conducted, leading to the documentation of 451 violations and the issuance of 430 warnings against employers of children under the legal age to work. 

Khleifat called on both employers and expatriate workers to “abide by the Labour Law and related regulations”, stressing that “the ministry will not tolerate any legal violation, and will take legal action against all perpetrators whether employers or employees”.