Issued by a group of civil society organizations and research centers
In light of the outcomes of the Public Sector Development Committee announced, and the proposals it included to merge some ministries, abolish the Ministry of Labor, and transfer its tasks and roles to a number of ministries, we express our surprise and disapproval of this trend, which we believe is ill-considered in terms of its impact on the labor market and on the parties involved in the work. It does not take into account the principles and objectives of the existence of the Ministries of Labor and their roles in serving the issues of the labor market and parties involved in production and maintaining social peace. It is inconsistent with the approach of social dialogue and partnership that brings together workers and employers with the government, and reflects a change in the orientations and choices of economic policies towards marginalizing and weakening the social protection system.
We therefore caution against adopting this approach, which is based on dispersing the Ministry's responsibilities among a number of official bodies. This will cause chaos in programs, policies, and data related to the labor market, and will weaken the ability of government agencies to fulfill their obligations to regulate the labor market, ensure the necessary protections for employers, and achieve decent work conditions.
We also warn against the government's approach, which is based on encouraging investment and stimulating economic growth while weakening working conditions and social protections. This approach has been clearly evident over the past three years and continues to be evident, with the regressive amendments to the labor and social security laws. This approach will only deepen social and economic inequality and increase poverty rates.
We emphasize that the success of any country in dealing with labor market issues is primarily linked to the extent of its interest in the future role of the Ministry of Labor in formulating national labor policy, enhancing its role as a primary channel for social dialogue and providing social protections. The responsibilities of labor policies and their implementation are interconnected, interdependent and indivisible, and include a set of functions imposed by the Constitution and emphasized by national legislation and Jordan’s obligations under the international agreements and treaties it has ratified, particularly in the areas of labor and social protection, employment, industrial relations, services related to occupational safety and health, minimum wages, vocational training services and human resources, social dialogue, and labor inspection, which the Ministry of Labor is entrusted with the processes of consultation, cooperation, and negotiation regarding with the social partners, workers and employers, within the framework of the tripartite structure principle that must be enshrined in the various functions of labor market management.
We call on the government not to adopt this proposal, and instead adopt a comprehensive approach to regulating the work of this ministry, empowering it, and strengthening its role within established frameworks and standards, as well as international experiences. This will ensure that it remains at the center of broader e
