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  • Last Update
    07-Jan-2020

Cabinet endorses new labour law

 

The Jordan Times

 

AMMAN — During a session headed by Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, the Cabinet on Monday endorsed 2019 amendments to the labour law prior to its submission to the Lower House for deliberation.
 
The draft law comes in implementation of Labour Ministry programmes in the fields of employment, labour market regulation and providing more legal protection for workers by stringent penalties for violations of the labour law.
 
The draft law also aims to prevent and control the entry of foreign labour into the Jordanian market, and incrementally substitute the vacuum with Jordanian labour, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
 
The draft law contributes to organising and facilitating the employment of Jordanian workers inside and outside the Kingdom through contracts with agencies outside the Kingdom in addition to granting licences to outsourcing companies that recruit Jordanians.
 
Minister of Labour Nidal Bataineh stated after the session that the most prominent amendments to the draft law are related to supporting the employment of Jordanians in the private sector and finding a decent work environment, as many amendments were made to ensure the empowerment and employment of women.
 
Bataineh added that the draft law aims to increase the penalty for violators, whether they work without permits, beyond what is permitted to them or for another sponsor.
 
He highlighted that in this regard, the penalty will be increased for employers in the event that they are caught employing a violating worker. However, if the original sponsor reports the violation, they will be exempt from the fine.
 
The minister added that if the violating employee is caught, the penalty for their employer will be increased by the equivalent of the value of two work permits, i.e. around JD1,000, and for repeat offenders, the penalty is the amount of five work permits, equalling JD2,500.
 
Bataineh affirmed that the draft law is “strict” concerning unauthorised agencies and persons working to mediate the employment of Jordanians, especially domestic workers, with a penalty between JD3,000 to JD5,000  or imprisonment.
 
He also noted that a clause has been added to define sexual harassment in the workplace, meaning that in the event of harassment, the draft law can be evoked, resulting in the layoff of the violating worker without notification.
 
The minister added that the draft law was published on the ministry’s website, and many comments and suggestions were received regarding it, enabling the ministry to play a greater role in employing Jordanians and empowering women.
 
 

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