'NEPCO staff to begin open-ended strike on Tuesday'

AMMAN — More than 1,000 employees of the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) will begin an open-ended strike on Tuesday to demand better salaries, Electricity Workers Union (EWU) President Ali Hadid said on Sunday.

Noting that electricity supply will not be affected by the strike, Hadid added that the decision was taken after the NEPCO board of directors rejected a draft agreement between EWU and the company’s director general and chairman.

“In June, we reached an agreement with the company that is fair for both the employees and NEPCO, but the board rejected the demands,” he told The Jordan Times.

The demands include increasing staff salaries by JD50 per month as well as improving their work conditions, according to Hadid, who said NEPCO’s 1,400 employees will participate in the strike.

“Electricity supply will not be affected due to the strike, at least not in its early stages,” he added, highlighting that it will depend on whether the company approves the workers' demands by December 11. 

If the demands are not met by the deadline, the union will be forced to escalate protest action, Hadid underscored.

He noted that security guards will not participate in the strike to prevent vandalism, and the EWU has also formed “emergency committees to address any problems”.