Syndicate disputes claims of employee maltreatment at Total Jordan

AMMAN — The Gas Stations Owners Association (GSOA) on Monday dismissed as baseless claims that integrated oil and gas company Total Jordan has committed violations when hiring employees. 

Khaled Zyoud, president of the General Trade Union of Workers in Petrochemicals, has accused Total Jordan of violating the job security of its employees as it hires them via a third party.

“By hiring employee via a third party, the role of our association becomes limited in being able to defend the employees. Total Jordan employees do not have contracts with the company directly, but they deal with a third company and abide by the conditions set by the third party without the ability to take legal action against the oil company if needed,” Zyoud charged in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

He also called for better health insurance for the company's staff and more incentives, claiming that Total Jordan employee receives around JD220 as a monthly salary.

Dismissing the accusations as groundless, GSOA President Nahar Seidat said: “Total Jordan hires employees and deals with them in line with the Labour Law. Hiring employees via another company that signs agreements with them is legal and Total Jordan follows this practice wherever it operates around the world.”

“Total Jordan has an agreement with this company that hires the employees, and this agreement forces the company to abide by all Jordanian labour-related regulations,” he told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

“The statement by the general trade union is meant to settle scores and it is for personal motives,” Seidat charged.

“Total Jordan is a registered Jordanian company that abides by the law and follows the rules. Making such accusations is counterproductive,” he added.