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AMMAN — A database is scheduled to be launched before the end of this year to help graduates of computer network academies find jobs in different sectors in the country.

The portal, which will be launched by the Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) and Cisco Systems, will enable graduates of Cisco networking academies to create profiles that will be viewed by several companies in the IT, banking, industrial and health sectors, Mohamed Jinini, networking academy area manager for Levant countries at Cisco Systems, told The Jordan Times on Wednesday.

“Banks and firms in different sectors will be able to post vacancies, which will also be seen by graduates of Cisco networking academies… The idea of the project is to speed up the employment of these graduates,” Jinini said.

More than 9,700 Jordanians have been trained at Cisco networking academies since 2000, he noted. Of the total graduates, 33 per cent are women.

A seminar will be held prior to launching the portal to familiarise companies in different sectors with the training and skills that graduates acquire at Cisco networking academies, Jinini added.

In addition, Cisco Systems is planning to sign an agreement with a private company to hire 50 graduates of Cisco networking academies, the executive said.

“Cisco Systems will sign agreements with several companies in the private sector in the upcoming stage as part of its efforts to speed up the employment of the graduates,” he added.

Cisco Networking Academy is a global education programme that teaches students how to design, build, troubleshoot and secure computer networks for increased access to career and economic opportunities in communities around the world. Under the academy’s training programme, Cisco partners with educational institutions, government administrations and community-based organisations to provide the courses.

There are 20 Cisco academies in Jordan, including at the PSUT, the University of Jordan the Public Security Department and the Jordan University of Science and Technology.

AMMAN — A total of 890 labour protests were organised last year, only 5.7 per cent of which partially or completely achieved their goals, according to a report released on Wednesday.

Strikes comprised 53.9 per cent of the total number of labour protests; sit-ins constituted 31.7 per cent; and threats to organise protests were 11.9 per cent, according to the report, which was issued by the Phenix Centre for Economic and Informatics Studies and prepared in cooperation with the German Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung (FES) office in Amman.

Labour protests also included unilateral actions, such as self-harm or even committing suicide, according to the report, which indicated that this kind of “activism” comprised 2.5 per cent of the total number of protests.

“Self-harm, suicide and suicide threats for reasons related to work have largely increased during the year 2013, as 23 cases of suicide and self-harm were registered, resulting in two deaths and several severe injuries,” the report said.

While almost half of the labour protests last year were carried out by public sector employees, some 359 protests (40.3 per cent) were staged by private sector workers and 5.5 per cent of the gross total were held by the unemployed, whose only demand was job opportunities.

The number of labour protests slightly dropped in 2013 compared to 2012, when 901 demonstrations were organised, according to the report.

At a press conference to announce results, Ahmad Awad, director of the Phenix centre, said the high number of protests in 2013 highlights that both the public and private sectors continue to suffer from decreasing levels of adequate work and worker satisfaction.

“The reasons for the high number of labour-related protests are various… however, low wages are the main motivation for most people to carry out protests. A total of 49.7 per cent of the labour protests came on the heels of complaints about low wages and benefits as well,” Awad noted.

In addition, work conditions have deteriorated for the majority of employees, he said.

The report showed that workers in different sectors do not enjoy the basic labour rights guaranteed by the Labour Law, such as daily working hours, leave, professional safety conditions, social security and health insurance benefits, Awad added.

“About 44 per cent of workers in Jordan do not enjoy any form of social protection,” the report indicated.

FES Resident Director Anja Wehler-Schoeck said the high number of labour protests is a positive indication that reflects an improvement in the exercise of freedom of speech and assembly.

However, Wehler-Schoeck added that the high number of protests is also a sign of social injustice and economic disparity.

She advised policy makers to take the report’s results and recommendations into consideration, warning that social discontent is a threat to social harmony.

The annual report, which monitors and investigates the local labour market at both the policy level and the grass-roots level, recommended that wages in both the private and public sectors be reconsidered.

“Wages are extremely low when one takes into account the absolute poverty line and the need to be linked to the inflation rate,” the report concluded.

In addition, the social security umbrella should be expanded to include all workers in Jordan, and all subscribers to the Social Security Corporation should be provided with health insurance, as half of the workers in Jordan lack any form of health insurance.

“Article 31 of the Labour Law, which restricts unions in the public sector and allows for collective layoffs, should be amended,” the report recommended.

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday endorsed an amended version of the Penal Code that stiffens the penalty for car theft to a minimum of five years in prison with hard labour.

The 2014 amendments to the Penal Code came in response to a request by 18 deputies.

Under the amendments, those convicted of automobile theft will not be able to benefit from sentence commutation or receive suspended sentences.

If the case involves the theft of car parts, the penalty is no less than a two-year prison term that can be commuted to a minimum of six months if the legal requirements are met. But the sentence cannot be suspended under any condition, according to the amended draft.

The draft stipulates that those proven guilty of involvement in selling or buying a stolen car or parts of it, knowing that it is stolen, face between one and three years in prison. A commuted sentence should be no less than four months and the sentence cannot be suspended.

Those who use a car without the permission of its owner face between one and three years in prison and must pay a fine ranging from JD500 to JD1,000, according to the draft, which will now be sent to the Legislation and Opinion Bureau for review. 

The Council of Ministers also tasked the Foreign Ministry with investigating reports that Israel has sold part of a plot of land owned by the government in East Jerusalem.

The Cabinet condemned such a move, if proven, denouncing any attempts to Judaise Jerusalem.

The Council of Ministers also approved submitting an official request for observer status in the African Union and accrediting Jordan's ambassador to Cairo, who is also the Kingdom's non-resident ambassador to Ethiopia, to serve as Jordan's representative to the union.

In addition, the Cabinet endorsed the mandating reasons for amending the Telecommunications Law. The ICT Ministry has prepared the amendments in cooperation with other concerned agencies. 

The Council of Ministers also endorsed the 2014 draft non-Muslim religious councils law to be sent to the Lower House for deliberations. 

AMMAN — His Majesty King Abdullah on Wednesday met with ex-servicemen to discuss key issues in both a domestic and regional context, a source close to the meeting told The Jordan Times. 

During the meeting — which was held at the residence of retired Maj. Gen. Mohammad Rasoul Amayreh in Balqa Governorate, 35km northwest of Amman — the veterans praised the content of the King’s recent interview with the London-based Al Hayat newspaper. 

They also commended His Majesty’s speech at the 25th Arab Summit in Kuwait, saying that the interview and the address outlined the fundamentals of Jordan’s foreign policy. 

The retired officers also expressed their approval of Royal directives to the government to prepare a 10-year blueprint for Jordan’s economy, which were previously outlined in a letter sent to Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour earlier this week. 

They noted that this envisioned plan would require concerted national efforts to successfully institutionalise its goals, which would then “be reflected positively on the lives of citizens”.

The King praised the significant role both present and future military personnel play in the service and protection of the state. 

He stressed the importance of maintaining communication and partnership with the Economic and Social Association of Retired Servicemen and Veterans in order to better serve a segment of society that is “near and dear to the nation’s heart”. 

On the local level, the King called for strengthening the role of the Governorates Development Fund in order “to support projects generating opportunities for the sons and daughters of the nation”.

He also spoke on regional matters concerning Jordan, reiterating the importance “of finding a political solution to the Syrian crisis”. 

With regards to the Palestinian issue, His Majesty pointed out that Jordan continues to support Palestine in its efforts to achieve a two-state solution. 

The off-the-record talks are part of continued efforts by the King to maintain channels of dialogue with key actors in local communities and sectors.

AMMAN — The Lower House on Wednesday voted to end the suspension of MP Qusai Dmeisi, penalised almost six months ago for having had an altercation with a colleague, which led to a shooting incident at Parliament.

The membership of Dmeisi (Zarqa, 4th District) was frozen for a year following the shooting incident in September, which also led to the dismissal of Talal Sharif (Amman, 1st District) who fired at least two bullets from his AK47 during the quarrel.

Dmeisi, who reportedly provoked Sharif, has recently sent a letter of apology for his behaviour to the legislature, according to a House statement.

Sources told The Jordan Times following the incident that Dmeisi and Sharif had an argument before the  incident and it took a violent turn when the former rejected reconciliation.

The shooting was unprecedented in the history of Jordan’s parliamentary life. It was received with shock locally and internationally, forcing the House to take the decision to expel the shooter and suspend Dmeisi.

Sharif is on trial for threatening Dmeisi with a gun and carrying an automatic weapon in a public meeting. Maximum punishment for either misdemeanour is three years in jail.

AMMAN — The UNDP in Jordan received Ambassador Manuel Bessler, the humanitarian aid delegate of the Swiss confederation earlier this week.

Bessler was on an official visit to the Sarhan Municipality, where two rounds of UNDP-led vocational training programmes are taking place, under the “Mitigating the Impact of the Syrian Refugee Crisis on the Vulnerable Jordanian Host Communities” project, a UNDP statement said.

The visit was part of Bessler’s tour of host communities in northern governorates, where UNDP is implementing activities funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, among other donors.

AMMAN — The Defenders of Media Freedom in the Arab World Network, Sanad, on Tuesday launched an online campaign to publish violations committed against media personnel and raise journalists’ awareness on ways to report them.

In a statement, the Centre for Defending the Freedom of Journalists, which runs Sanad, noted that the campaign aims at holding those who violate reporters’ rights liable and documenting such incidents.

AMMAN — Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Chairman Khalid Toukan has won the seventh round of Khalifa Award for Education in the “Education Personality of the Year” category for 2013/2014.

Toukan received an invitation to attend the award ceremony in Abu Dhabi on April 14.

AMMAN — Interior Minister Hussein Majali on Tuesday met with the Swedish and Bulgarian ambassadors Helena Rietz and Venelin Lazarov.

Discussions covered bilateral ties and prospects for further cooperation, in addition to the situation in the region, especially the Syrian crisis.

Majali highlighted Jordan’s stance in supporting a comprehensive political solution in Syria, highlighting the burden of hosting Syrian refugees in Jordan.

Rietz expressed her country’s commitment to supporting Jordan and enabling it to continue its humanitarian role, while Lazarov underlined the significant role Jordan is playing to restore regional security and stability.

AMMAN — Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Tuesday received Gen. Abdul Azizi Al Rayes, commander of the Kuwaiti Mubarak Al Abdullah Joint Command and Staff College, and an accompanying delegation.

Judeh called for maintaining Jordanian-Kuwaiti cooperation and coordination on several issues.