The Labor and Social Development Committee in the Senate, headed by MP Issa Murad, met Sunday, with the President and members of the Executive Office of the General Federation of Jordan Trade Unions (GFJTU).

The two parties agreed in the meeting, which was held at the Union’s headquarters, on the need to reopen the economic sectors and reduce the curfew hours currently imposed in the Kingdom, in light of the high economic cost inflicted on the sectors and workers.

MP Murad said that the meeting aimed to maintain dialogue and consultation on issues and challenges the labor market faces, and to discuss them with representatives of workers from trade unions that represent different sectors, in addition to the amendments to the labor law.

MP Murad stressed the importance of protecting labor rights and job security in the current crisis, which is beneficial to the labor market and the sustainability of the general 'wheel of production', emphasizing the importance of the role that trade unions play in social dialogue with employers and the stability of labor relations.

The President of the GFJTU, Mazen Maaytah, in turn, valued the efforts of the committee, emphasizing the importance of continuous communication and joint coordination, especially in light of the difficult circumstances imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, and its repercussions which affected the labor market sector and workers in various economic sectors of the private sector.

Maaytah said that the GFJTU and the trade unions under its umbrella, stress the need for serious dialogue and continuous cooperation with the various parties to the production process, and labor issues, rights, and legislation and laws governing the labor market, in order to achieve a balance in the interests of workers and employers alike, while provide solutions that address the issues on the ground.

He added that "the legislative institution plays an important role in the current stage of maturing the proposed amendments to the labor law, and earlier the union presented the most prominent observations of the trade unions in particular, and we hope it will be taken into account."

Maaytah pointed out that the pandemic revealed weaknesses in the labor legislation, which highlighted the need for reconsideration and reviews, especially with regard to labor rights and the social protection system for workers, particularly for the labor sectors that operate in the informal economy, as they were the most affected by the repercussions of the coronavirus crisis.