Labor Ministry expresses reservations on US National Labor Committee on Jordan FTA factories
Petra, Jordan
Labor Ministry expresses reservations on US National Labor Committee on Jordan FTA factories
4 June 2007
Amman, Jun. 4 (Petra) The Labor Ministry on Monday expressed some reservations on the information contained in the US National Labor Committee report on workers at Jordan’s garment factories which are exporting duty-free under the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
"The information in the report is very well known to the ministry’s inspectors, who have already taken the necessary procedures to address problems mentioned in the report," said a statement issued by the ministry on Monday.
Although there are some reservations on the information in the report, the ministry highly appreciated the committee’s efforts to follow up the situation of workers at the factories in the Qualified Industrial Zones (QIZ)," said the statement. "These efforts facilitate work of the ministry’s inspection team to pinpoint defects and areas of shortcoming and then take the needed measures at the right time including the legal procedures against violators of the labor law," it said.
It added "according to the information made available to the ministry, some of the points in the committee’s report are untrue."
In its statement, the ministry expressed hope that cooperation will continue with the US committee to ensure the highest degree of abidance and respect to labor laws and legislation and to Jordanian and international law standards.
The ministry warned against issuing inaccurate information and called for verifying relevant information before announcing it because this would offend rights and interests of the concerned companies and would also harm and distort Jordan’s favorable investment climate.
"Securing sound and healthy work environment for all workers, be they are Jordanians or guest workers, is one of the ministry’s top priorities," the statement said noting that the ministry has well-qualified cadres capable of following up the situation and putting things right.
