Amman (ILO News) – Better Work Jordan, in cooperation with the Jordanian government, has published a legal guide that outlines the rights and obligations of stakeholders involved in Jordan’s burgeoning garment manufacturing sector, including workers and employers.

The ‘’Guide to Jordanian Labour Law for the Garment Industry’’ outlines basic Jordanian labour law in non-technical language. Available in Arabic and English, the document covers areas relating to child labour, trade unions, collective bargaining contracts, labour disputes, discrimination, forced labour, contracts and human resources, wages and benefits, occupational safety and health, working hours and rest periods.

“Better Work Jordan has produced this guide with the aim of helping employers, workers, international buyers, and other stakeholders to better understand the obligations and rights stipulated under Jordanian law ,’’ said Phillip Fishman, programme manager for Better Work Jordan.

Articles, provisions, legal documents and legal instructions that have been produced since 1996 relating to Jordan’s garment industry have been consolidated into the document to assist non-legal experts in understanding their entitlements and responsibilities.

“We hope this guide will effectively promote social compliance, harmonious labour relations, and a friendly working environment, to the benefit of enterprises and society,’’ said Dr. Nidal Katamine, Minister of Labour and Minister of Transport.

The garment sector in Jordan employs around 50,000 workers, most of whom come from Asia. It is estimated that around 20 per cent of them are Jordanian nationals.

Better Work has been working with the Jordanian government since 2008, promoting competitiveness in the sector by enhancing economic performance at the enterprise level and improving compliance with Jordanian labour law and international conventions on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. The programme also aims at building a mechanism for social dialogue and effective workplace cooperation as a basis for sustainable development.

For more information, please contact: Nisreen Bathish Abou Ragheb, Jordan Communications Officer, International Labour Organization, Email: g8beyexcoll@ilo.org, Mobile: +962 79 90 480 12