AMMAN — Labour Minister Nidal Bataineh on Wednesday signed four agreements in the presence of Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Omar Razzaz to train and employ 735 Jordanian workers in the garments, food and cardboard industries in Irbid, Mafraq and Maan governorates.

 

Speaking at the signing, the premier said that these agreements embody the Royal vision of self-reliance and transformation into a productive nation, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

 

Razzaz underlined that the Jordanian industrial sector “has proven over the past few months its ability to cope with and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic”, supplying local and external markets with high-quality national products.

 

He commended the role of municipalities in investment success by providing infrastructure, noting that their responsibilities have shifted from offering services to citizens to “a real development role”.

 

The prime minister also hailed the partnership between the public and private sectors, which has reduced poverty and unemployment by providing job opportunities for Jordanian youth.

 

Labour investments are important in governorates with high unemployment rates, Razzaz said, stressing that the  government is committed to removing any barriers facing these investments.

 

Under the agreements, the Labour Ministry will pay 50 per cent of the minimum wage towards workers' salaries, extend a JD25 transportation allowance and contribute JD25 to employees’ social security contributions during their first year of employment, said Bataineh.

 

The agreements, he added, will provide direct support to both investors and workers to ensure a decent and sustainable working environment.

 

The investors will be provided with factory buildings free of charge for a period of three years, provided that they employ the number of workers set forth in the agreements for a period of five years.

 

The minister underscored that these agreements also propose the establishment of employment and training centres for Jordanians in several fields across the Kingdom, at a financing value of more than JD1.8 million.