AMMAN —
Government Circular No. 56, which was issued on Tuesday, is bound to spark
disputes between workers and employers, as it is based on the provisions of
Defense Order No. 6 of 2020, concerning the termination or renewal of work
contracts, Al-Rai daily reported.
اضافة اعلان
The circular
declared invalid provisions regarding the automatic termination or renewal of
work contracts contained in Defense Order No. 6, and the circulars issued
pursuant thereto regarding workers hired after its entry into force in the
institutions and establishments of the private sector, or any other entity
subject to the
Labor Law, irrespective of whether these institutions or
establishments, or other entities, existed before Defense Order No 6 of 2020
order came into force.
Minister of Labor Nayef Steitieh assured workers that the latest circular will not affect the
interests of workers; rather, it is a regulation that concerns those who were
appointed after April 8, 2020, and will not entail laying off workers. He added
that whoever was appointed after that date will be subject to the Labor Law
which protects rights in case of violations, including being laid off without
legal reason.
He stressed that
any circular related to work and workers is studied by a ministerial legal
committee, and no decision taken by this committee prejudices the rights of
workers.
Head of the Labor
Union, Mazen Al-Maaytah, said that “the current work conditions remain
difficult because there is an increase in the unemployment rate at a time the
repercussions of the pandemic continue to affect the workers’ situation”.
Maaytah said that
he opposes the termination of workers’ services and supports job stability, and
pointed out that the circular does not clarify who is to be excluded from
Defense Order No. 6, nor does it differentiate between fixed-term contracts and
other types of contracts. He added that the circular allows the employer to
terminate the services of workers on “unlimited-term” contracts.
Director of the
Workers’ House Hamada Abu Nijma said that the circular is contradictory: “On
the one hand, the government insists that it does not cancel Defense Order No.
56, which protects workers against dismissals, while on the other hand,
Circular 56 removes protection for a wide category of workers.”
Ministry of Labor
spokesman
Muhammad Al-Zayoud said that all work contracts signed before Defense
Order No. 6 was issued, meaning before April 8, 2020, are still subject to its
provisions.
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