Jordan annual garment buyers forum calls for improved working conditions

Better Work Jordan’s International Buyers’ Forum sees record turnout amid calls for better working conditions in Jordan’s garment sector.

News | 03 April 2014
AMMAN, Jordan (ILO News) – An unprecedented number of representatives from global apparel brands gathered in Amman, Jordan on Thursday (April 3) to attend Better Work Jordan’s sixth annual International Buyers’ Forum and examine ways to improve working standards in the country’s garment sector.

In total, 18 representatives from 10 international clothing brands attended the Forum, the largest number of attendees since it began taking place in 2009. During the Forum global buyer representatives met with senior Jordanian government officials, union representatives, factory managers and foreign diplomats to discuss challenges in Jordan’s garment sector such as wage discrimination, increasing the number of Jordanian workers in the sector, methods for migrant worker recruitment and dormitory standards. Brand names included Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Jones Apparel Group, Hanes Brand Inc., Under Armour, New Balance and Nike.

‘’Joint cooperation between employer and worker representatives and the Ministry of Labour, as well as the support of the ILO, has brought about some positive improvements in the working conditions of the sector," said Mohammed al-Qudah, Deputy Secretary General of Jordan’s Ministry of Labour. “This has enhanced the international image of the sector, which is evident in the increasing number of new international [garment] brands sourcing from Jordan.’’

Jordan’s billion-dollar garment sector is a vital component of the country’s developing economy. In 2013, the value of Jordan’s apparel exports exceeded $1.3 billion, accounting for more than 18 per cent of total exports, and constituting an increase of 10 per cent on the previous year.

‘’We are encouraged by the continuing development of working conditions in Jordan apparel industry and, in particular, the maturity of the Better Work Programme,” said Dr. Monica Gorman, Head of Corporate Compliance at New Balance. “Better Work has played an important role in bringing together government, industry, and union representatives to engage proactively in dialogue and address some of the sector’s most challenging issues.’’

Better Work Jordan is part of the joint ILO-International Finance Corporation global Better Work programme, which aims to improve working conditions and promote competitiveness in Jordan’s apparel industry. Currently, 62 factories—which employ over 90 per cent of the sector’s labour force and produce 90 per cent of exports—participate in the programme. The majority of workers in Jordan’s garment sector are migrants.

''The Sixth Buyers Forum is being held at a time of great promise for Jordan's garment sector," said Better Work Jordan Programme Manager, Phillip Fishman. "The ILO and Better Work Jordan are committed to supporting this important industry as it becomes increasingly competitive and compliant with Jordan's Labour Law and International Labour Standards."

With the support of Better Work Jordan, the garment sector has reached several major milestones related to working conditions. In mid-2013, a sector-wide collective bargaining agreement between employers associations and the garment union was signed. Also in 2013, a garment workers’ centre—the first of its kind in Jordan—was opened in one of the country’s industrial zones to improve the working environment for thousands of labourers.

A five-year strategy for the sector is currently being developed to promote garment industry growth that increasingly contributes to the Jordanian economy and human development in the Kingdom, as well as increasing of the number of Jordanians working in the sector.