Improving the Protection of Labour Rights in Jordan

The project expands the ILO’s technical assistance to Jordan on legislative reform to bring national labour law into compliance with International Labour Standards. Special attention is placed on legislative reform as well as the role and mandate of labour inspectors, occupational safety and health (OSH) in the workplace and the employment of migrant workers. In addition, the project works to develop the human and operational capacity of the labour inspectorate through technical support to implement Jordan’s recently developed Labour Inspection Policy. The project also seeks to enhance coordination between labour inspectors in and outside the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA).

As the main platform for social dialogue in the country, the National Labour Tripartite Committee will also receive support to improve the frequency, quality and impact of its work on issues related to core labour rights, migrant workers, labour management and industrial relations in Jordan.

The project builds on the results of the ILO project entitled “Promotion of Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work in the Aqaba Special Economic Zone”, which worked to promote social justice and expand decent work opportunities through better compliance with fundamental principles and rights at work and the enforcement of national labour legislation in the ASEZA.

OBJECTIVES

• Enhance the capacity of the labour inspectorate to promote and ensure compliance with core labour rights, including with those of migrant workers; and
• strengthen institutions and processes to promote sound industrial relations as well as the effective functioning of labour mediation and conciliation services.

MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Provide technical advice to review pending labour laws or circulars that are not in full conformity with relevant International Labour Standards for an effective inspection system; and with the drafting of new or amended legal and regulatory provisions;
• develop a set of legal and practical proposals to improve sound industrial relations and labour management cooperation in Jordan;
• conduct various training sessions for members of the National Labour Tripartite Committee on basic principles and rights for sound industrial relations as well as tripartite consultations and negotiations;
• develop awareness raising activities on labour law compliance for employers and workers based on the risk assessment findings on labour law compliance in various sectors inspected by Jordan’s Ministry of Labour and the ASEZA inspectors;
• conduct a training programme for selected labour officials on skills and techniques for data analysis, reporting and dissemination;
• support the development of a self-evaluation system for enterprises; and
• conduct technical advisory sessions to improve the working procedures, reporting mechanisms and the case management system for labour mediation and conciliation services.

OUTCOMES

• Enhance working conditions and respect for fundamental principles and rights at work including those of migrant workers and vulnerable groups through strengthening compliance with International Labour Standards; and
• increase institutional capacity and mechanisms for social dialogue, collective bargaining and policy making by enhancing the quality of trade union participation in tripartite policy dialogue as well as the capacity of tripartite partners in advocating migrant workers’ rights.