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RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDH RUEHKUK RUEHROV
DE RUEHAM #2073/01 2531316
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101316Z SEP 09
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5921
INFO RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 002073 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KWMN KTIP KCRM JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: NEW DOMESTIC WORKER REGULATIONS ENDORSED 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 1424 
     ¶B. AMMAN 706 
     ¶C. AMMAN 459 
     ¶D. AMMAN 429 
     ¶E. AMMAN 242 
     ¶F. AMMAN 230 
     ¶G. 08 AMMAN 3388 
     ¶H. 08 AMMAN 3171 
     ¶I. 08 AMMAN 2822 
     ¶J. 08 AMMAN 2206 
     ¶K. 08 AMMAN 1859 
 
¶1. (U) Jordan's cabinet endorsed new regulations on August 25 
aimed at protecting the rights of domestic workers, some of 
the workers most vulnerable to forced labor and 
trafficking-in-persons (TIP) in Jordan.  The regulations had 
been under development since July 2008 when Jordan's Labor 
Law was amended to include agriculture and domestic workers. 
The regulations will become effective once published in the 
official gazette, which is expected within the next month 
according to contacts. 
 
¶2. (U) Post monitored the regulations through the entire 
drafting and approval process and participated in 
non-governmental reviews of its provisions.  The Ministry of 
Labor (MOL) made a point to engage NGOs working with domestic 
workers or women's rights during the process and sought to 
give domestic workers the same rights as other employees 
consistent with the nature of their work.  Provisions include: 
 
--Ten hour work day with one day off per week. 
 
--Fourteen days of paid annual leave and fourteen days of 
paid sick leave per year. 
 
--Entitlement to contact family in their home country at 
least once per month at employer's expense. 
 
--Freedom to practice their own religion. 
 
--Worker cannot be taken out of Jordan without the worker's 
approval and only after notifying the worker's embassy. 
 
--Worker must only work in their assigned home and cannot be 
sent to work in other people's homes. 
 
¶3. (U) In case of a complaint, the regulations authorize the 
Ministry of Labor to send a male and female labor inspector 
to the domestic worker's workplace but only after obtaining 
the employer's approval.  The labor inspectorate can ask for 
a judicial warrent if employer approval is not given.  If an 
employer is found in violation, the employer will be issued a 
warning and required to resolve the violation in one week. 
If not resolved, the employer will be subject to a range of 
fines and punishments, depending on the violations, as 
stipulated in the labor law. 
 
¶4. (U) There are also provisions in the regulations that 
protect the rights of employers.  For instance, the domestic 
worker "must respect the privacy of the workplace, not reveal 
secrets of the house, respect the employer's traditions and 
culture, and not leave the house without the employer's 
permission."  If a domestic worker runs away, the employer is 
also not obligated to to fulfill any financial obligations 
towards the workers nor will the employer have to bear the 
expense of sending the worker back to her country.  MOL 
contacts stated the regulations were also designed to clearly 
articulate the responsibilities of both parties, which was 
especially important as employers often feel their rights are 
also not protected. (Note: Post witnessed first-hand the 
often negative public attitudes and behaviors towards 
domestic workers during recent showings of the film, Maid in 
Lebanon. The majority of film attendees, for instance, 
believed that domestic workers should not be in possession of 
their passports or should be given a day off.  This thinking 
appeared to center on negative personal experiences or 
stories of domestic workers stealing or running away without 
the employer being compensated. End Comment) 
 
¶5. (U) Comment: The new regulations, which were listed as 
first recommended action in 2009 TIP Report for Jordan, is 
another step forward in the fight against forced labor and 
TIP in Jordan.  They come on the heels of the anti-TIP law 
that came into affect in April.  Together, they represent 
tools that can be used to investigate and prosecute TIP and 
forced labor abuses.  In fact, a committee, comprised of the 
Ministry of Labor, Recruitment Agencies Association, and 
Public Security Department (police), are tasked to implement 
the new standards.  While labor inspectors, police, and 
judicial authorities are receiving training on TIP, the 
question is how effective can these regulations be enforced 
as domestic workers are employed in private homes, a domain 
where police and labor inspectors will largely not be welcome 
 
AMMAN 00002073  002 OF 002 
 
 
and where, to date, they have not gone to investigate such 
complaints.  Nonetheless, the regulations are a step forward 
and Post will continue to push for enhanced investigations 
and increased prosecutions of TIP, especially with the solid 
legal tools in place.  End Comment. 
Beecroft