VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAM #0274/01 0281435
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281435Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6795
INFO RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 6364
RUEHLB/AMEMBASSY BEIRUT 3159
RUEHEG/AMEMBASSY CAIRO 0014
RUEHDM/AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS 4318
RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI 0010
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA 0169
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 0084
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA 0167
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0341
RUEHPF/AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH 0046
RUEHRB/AMEMBASSY RABAT 0451
RUEHRH/AMEMBASSY RIYADH 2278

UNCLAS AMMAN 000274 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE PASS USTR FOR CROMERO AND SFRANCESKI 
STATE FOR NEA/ELA GREGONIS, NEA/RA, AND DRL/ILCSR 
DOL FOR TWEDDING 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ELAB ECON ETRD JO
SUBJECT: JORDAN: SCENESETTER AND INPUT FOR FTA LABOR 
STRATEGIC PLAN 
 
REF: A. AMMAN 222 
     ¶B. STATE 129631 
     ¶C. 09 AMMAN 2804 
     ¶D. 09 AMMAN 2339 
     ¶E. 09 AMMAN 2254 
     ¶F. 09 AMMAN 2074 
     ¶G. 09 AMMAN 2073 
     ¶H. 09 AMMAN 1749 
     ¶I. 09 AMMAN 1424 
     ¶J. 09 AMMAN 1179 
     ¶K. 09 AMMAN 1177 
     ¶L. 09 AMMAN 856 
     ¶M. 09 AMMAN 706 
     ¶N. 09 AMMAN 459 
     ¶O. 09 AMMAN 429 
     ¶P. 09 AMMAN 392 
     ¶Q. 09 AMMAN 230 
     ¶R. 08 AMMAN 2206 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Labor cooperation between the U.S. Jordan 
has been strong and productive over the past several years. 
Effective engagement, backed with targeted assistance, has 
produced significant results, such as improved labor 
conditions in the garment sector, enhanced efforts to combat 
trafficking-in-persons, and expanded initiatives to address 
child labor.  In other areas, however, such as the right to 
associate, government influence over unions, and employment 
discrimination, there has been little forward progress.  The 
U.S. should place more emphasis on these issues within the 
bi-lateral dialogue and labor cooperation, especially as 
opportunities exist to make progress on these and other labor 
fronts.  For instance, the government has developed a labor 
law amendment package and plans to move it forward for 
approval.  The ILO and others have raised concerns over some 
provisions, such as those intending to give foreign workers 
union rights.  Washington and Post have actively engaged and 
have asked the government to revise the amendments to meet 
international standards.  This type of active engagement, 
even on contentious issus, should be a centerpiece in our 
strategic plan for Jordan.  This cable provides information 
on labor rights and issues, input into the strategic plan, 
on-going labor programs, and needed additional programming. 
End Summary. 
 
Labor Scenesetter and General Overview 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) One of the major recent successes of U.S.-Jordanian 
engagement has been the significantly improved labor 
conditions in Jordan's garment sector and the enactment of a 
legal framework, including an anti-trafficking law, to combat 
TIP.  The Government of Jordan (GOJ), with U.S. encouragement 
and assistance, has undertaken a long list of reforms and 
programs to improve labor conditions in the country.  The 
Ministry of Labor and other bodies are now proactively 
attempting to combat forced labor, especially in the garment 
sector, and are better equipped to do so.  However, more work 
remains.  For instance, greater effort is needed to ensure 
that smaller garment factories, especially those not 
exporting to the U.S. market and producing for major 
international buyers, are also improving their labor 
conditions.  Regarding TIP, the government must now "do the 
hard part" and implement the TIP law, including increasing 
investigations and prosecutions, establishing a shelter and 
victim services, and enhancing public awareness. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Beyond fighting forced labor and TIP, little has 
changed in recent years.  The government still places 
restrictions on the right to associate, especially by 
requiring all trade unions to fall under the umbrella of a 
general federation over which the GOJ exercises significant 
influence.  Unions remain weak with little influence and 
capacity.  Issues such as employment discrimination and 
harassment have also gone largely unaddressed.  The 
 
government is willing to work to address some of the issues, 
such as employment discrimination, especially if resources 
can be provided.  The GOJ, however, has shown little 
political will for large-scale reform, such as changing the 
union structure. 
 
¶4. (SBU) A labor law reform package currently with the 
Jordanian cabinet has the potential to improve, at least on 
paper, the labor rights situation.  An ILO review of the 
package, however, points to several proposed amendments that 
do not fully comply with international standards, including 
those intending to give foreign workers the right to 
unionize.  The new Minister of Labor has stated he will 
review the law and the ILO comments before moving it forward, 
most likely as a "temporary" law before the next parliament 
is elected. (Note:  In the absence of a sitting parliament, 
the cabinet may enact laws as provisional laws, which are 
binding until a new parliament can consider the enacted 
provisional law.  Previous parliaments have not considered 
provisional legislation, thereby indefinitely lengthening the 
legislation's life. End note.) 
 
¶5. (SBU) Post recommends continuous political engagement on 
labor rights and reform combined with targeted assistance. 
For example, the agreement by all major stakeholders that the 
ILO Better Work Jordan (BWJ) Program should be mandatory is a 
positive step to ensure labor compliance for all garment 
factories, including those exporting to the U.S. in 
cooperation with U.S. buyers under the U.S.-Jordan Free Trade 
Agreement (FTA), those exporting under the QIZ program, and 
those not exporting to the U.S. market.  While the 
International Finance Corporation (IFC), GOJ and USAID-funded 
BWJ program has not yet been made mandatory, the support 
expressed for such a move opens the door for targeted 
assistance to the textile union to further develop worker 
committees and collective bargaining agreements.  If most 
foreign workers are given the right to unionize, then this 
will also help increase resources and sustain activities. 
Some issues may be somewhat contentious, such as the role of 
the general trade union and government influence over unions. 
 But the existence of an open, frank dialogue with the GOJ 
allows for the U.S. to strongly push for reform and the 
exploration of common ground. 
 
Situation Regarding Specific Labor Rights 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Paragraphs 6-18 provide specific details and describe 
the current situation for each labor right issue identified 
in reftel B. 
 
Freedom of Association 
 
¶7. (SBU) A worker's right to freely associate without 
government interference remains a problem.  The current Labor 
Law does provide citizens working in the private sector, in 
some government-owned companies, and in certain public sector 
professions the right to form and join unions.  In practice, 
however, the freedom of association is restricted by the 
government.  Foremost, the government requires all unions to 
be members of the General Federation of Jordanian Trade 
Unions (GFTU), the sole trade union federation.  Government 
influence over GFTU decisions and activities is widely known 
and some individual sectoral unions have expressed their 
desire to become independent.  Government involvement in past 
union elections has also been documented.  There have been no 
recent noticeable attempts to change the structure of unions 
in Jordan or guarantee further independence.  In fact, the 
current draft Labor Law amendments included provisions giving 
GFTU greater audit authority over line unions. (Note: 
According to official figures, more than 10 percent of the 
workforce is organized into 17 unions. In addition, Jordan 
has a number of professional associations, such as those for 
doctors, engineers, dentists, and lawyers. The professional 
 
associations operate separately and independently from the 
GFTU. End Note.) 
 
¶8. (SBU) Foreign workers are also not permitted to join 
unions, excluding more than 300,000 foreign workers from any 
meaningful right of association.  The government submitted a 
labor law amendment in 2008 to give all foreign workers this 
right but the Parliament voted it down.  The current Labor 
Law amendment package under consideration by the cabinet 
again includes union rights for foreign workers.  However, 
the amendment places significant eligibility requirements for 
membership that only a small percentage of foreign workers 
would meet.  The eligibility requirements include reciprocal 
legislation in the source country and the provision that a 
worker must have worked in Jordan legally for five years. 
Post has actively engaged the government to revise the 
requirements.  The new Minister of Labor has told the 
Ambassador that the amendments will be reviewed before moving 
the amendments forward for approval. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Other provisions in the labor law place unnecessary 
hurdles to union formation, according to an ILO review of the 
labor law and the planned amendments.  For instance, 50 
founding members are needed to form an occupation trade union 
and 25 employees are needed to form employers' organizations. 
 The ILO states these requirements should be reduced, 
specifically stating the 50 founding members to unionize at 
an enterprise level is restrictive.  Also, the labor law 
states that a tripartite committee comprised of government, 
private sector, and employee (i.e. union) representatives 
shall be responsible for the classification of occupations 
for which a trade union may be established.  This provision 
could potentially reduce the number of occupations given the 
right to unionize. 
 
Collective Bargaining and Right to Strike 
 
¶10. (SBU) Unions have the right to bargain collectively, but 
in practice, collective bargaining is insufficiently used. 
The textile union, as one example, tends to be reactive 
instead of proactive.  The union spends significant time 
advocating for workers with specific problems and often after 
the workers have decided to strike.  Observers assert that 
unions must be better trained on collective bargaining. 
According to the Ministry of Labor, 47 collective disputes 
occurred in 2009, though not all resulted in strikes. 
Thirty-three were solved through direct negotiation between 
the parties.  The remaining disputes were solved either by 
the Ministry of Labor, a mediator, a council, or the courts. 
 
¶11. (SBU) The law permits workers to strike only under 
certain conditions, including that workers must give the 
employer and government, at a minimum, 14 days notice of a 
strike, and strikes are prohibited if a labor dispute is 
under mediation or arbitration.  In practice, however, 
workers primarily strike without notifying the government in 
advance.  In these instances, the union request penalty 
waivers for the illegal strike as part of the labor 
negotiations. 
 
Elimination of Forced Labor 
 
¶12. (SBU) Jordan has taken significant steps over the past 
few years to eliminate forced labor, especially within QIZs 
and the garment sector as a whole.  This work has been a 
highlight and success of U.S.-Jordanian labor engagement. 
Post has reported extensively on these efforts over the past 
several years.  Below is a just a short snapshot of the 
government's efforts since the 2006 National Labor Committee 
report: 
 
--Significant increase in the labor inspectorate's size, 
coupled with new training regimes. 
 
--Development of a Golden List to reward factories with high 
quality labor conditions and a Black List for poor performing 
factories.  Golden List factories have bank guarantees waived 
and Black List factories cannot obtain visas for foreign 
workers. 
 
--Enhancement of complaint mechanisms, such as through boxes 
in factories and a multi-lingual hotline. 
 
--Inclusion of agriculture and domestic workers under the 
Labor Law along with corresponding regulations outlining 
their rights. 
 
--Cooperation with the ILO Better Work Jordan Program, 
including contributing funds. 
 
--Negotiation with source countries of new agreements that 
strengthen recruitment oversight. 
 
--Passage of an anti-trafficking law and increase in fines 
for forced labor under the labor law. 
 
Abolition of Child Labor 
 
¶13. (SBU) A 2008 study by the Jordanian Department of 
Statistics places the number of child laborers in Jordan at 
more than 32,000.  Observers, however, estimate the number to 
be significantly higher as many businesses and families tend 
to hide the practice (and were not captured in the survey). 
These observers also believe the practice to be increasing 
due to the continuance and, in some areas, increase of 
poverty rates and unemployment combined with inflation.  Poor 
education quality is also cited as a primary cause for school 
drop-out and child labor.  In fact, recent studies have shown 
very high levels of teacher abuse, corporal punishment, and 
bullying in schools.  Several donor projects are now 
attempting to create a safer school environment and the 
government has issued tougher punishments for abusive 
teachers.  Children work in the mechanical repair, 
agriculture and fishing, construction, and hotel and 
restaurants sectors, as well as in the informal sector as 
street vendors, carpenters, blacksmiths, painters, and in 
small family businesses. 
 
¶14. (SBU) The government's capacity to implement and enforce 
child labor laws is insufficient.  The MOL's Child Labor Unit 
is tasked with coordinating government actions and receiving, 
investigating, and addressing child labor complaints.  The 
Unit, however, is staffed by only two people and unable to 
carry out its responsibilities to any significant extent.  A 
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) project (see para 24) is 
training all labor inspectors on child labor identification 
and handling.  Labor inspectors do issue fines for child 
labor violations but they often attempt alternative 
approaches first, such as the removal of children from 
hazardous conditions and placement in non-formal education. 
In short, the DOL project is attempting to address the 
problem through increasing non-formal education 
opportunities, increasing public awareness, conducting 
research, strengthening the inspectorate and other 
responsible government entities, and revitalizing a 
national-level committee to combat child labor.  It will be a 
long-term effort, however, to significantly reduce child 
labor in Jordan. 
 
Elimination of Employment Discrimination 
 
¶15. (SBU) Employment, pay, and workplace discrimination 
remain problems, especially for women.  A Jordanian National 
Council for Family Affairs study released in April 2009 found 
that women are often denied their basic labor rights, such as 
pay equality, appropriate annual and sick leave, and suitable 
working hours, as outlined in the labor law.  The labor law 
does grant women equal pay for equal work but this provision 
 
is often not enforced.  The government ratified the 
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination 
Against Women (CEDAW), but courts have yet to use such 
international conventions when ruling on discrimination 
cases.  One NGO is attempting to force the courts to rule on 
the basis of the convention.  Studies have also shown very 
low rates of women economic participation with the Minister 
of Social Development recently citing an 18 percent 
employment rate among women.  A range of factors, including 
societal attitudes as well as discrimination, are a 
contributing factors pointing to the need for the government 
to work simultaneously on a number of fronts. 
 
¶16. (SBU) According to the law, sexual harassment is strictly 
prohibited.  The law, however, does not make a distinction 
between sexual assault and sexual harassment; both carry a 
minimum prison sentence of four years.  Women's groups state 
that harassment is common but that victims are often hesitant 
to file a complaint.  Foreign women, especially domestic 
workers, rarely step forward to file a sexual harassment or 
even assault charge as they are often accused of theft or 
another crime by the employer and then jailed.  There are no 
known government programs specifically designed to address 
workplace harassment. 
 
Acceptable Conditions of Work 
 
¶17. (SBU) The national minimum wage is currently 150 
Jordanian dinars ($210) per month, which does not provide a 
decent standard of living for a worker and family.  The 
minimum wage is determined by a tripartite committee 
comprised of government, employer, and employee (union) 
representatives.  In determining the minimum wage, the 
committee uses no pre-set formula but considers a range of 
issues.  The above minimum wage does not apply to workers in 
the garment sector, whether citizens or foreigners, or to 
domestic workers.  Their minimum wage is 110 dinars per 
month.  The MOL and Jordanian garment exporters association, 
however, agreed to a non-binding understanding that Jordanian 
garment workers would receive a 40 JD ($56) monthly 
allowance, especially given that foreign workers receive some 
form of company-provided housing and food comparable in 
value. 
 
¶18. (SBU) A study by the Phoenix Center for Economic and 
Information Studies revealed that many workers in the private 
sector work excess hours and do not receive the sick and 
annual leave stipulated in the labor law.  The law requires 
overtime pay for hours worked in excess of the 48-hour 
standard workweek.  Compulsory overtime is prohibited, but 
the law allows employers to require the employee to work more 
than 48 hours a week for specific purposes such as carrying 
out annual inventory, closing accounts, and receiving special 
deliveries.  In such cases, the actual working hours may not 
exceed ten hours per day.   In excess of ten hours, the 
employee must be paid overtime, and the period may not last 
more than 30 days.  Employees were entitled to one day off 
per week.  Provisions for domestic and agriculture workers, 
placed under the labor law in 2008, were similar. 
 
¶19. (SBU) The law specifies a number of health and safety 
requirements for workers, which the MOL is authorized and 
attempts to enforce.  Overall strengthening of the labor 
inspectorate would also strengthen health and safety 
enforcement.  Workers do not have a statutory right to remove 
themselves from hazardous conditions without risking the loss 
of their jobs. 
 
Strategy Recommendations 
------------------------ 
 
¶20. (SBU) Post has found the most effective method to improve 
labor rights and conditions is continuous, targeted 
engagement with the GOJ.  For example, Jordan adopted its 
 
anti-TIP law and corresponding regulations after constant, 
significant and specified engagement and pressure by 
Washington and Post.  Similarly, Jordan's significant efforts 
to improve conditions in garment factories, and bolster its 
inspectorate came in the wake of the 2006 National Labor 
Committee report on forced labor in Jordanian garment 
factories and the resulting pressure and engagement by 
numerous USG and other entities, including American buyers. 
 
 
¶21. (SBU) An important step forward would be the signing of a 
bi-lateral Labor Cooperation Agreement, currently under 
review by the new cabinet.  This agreement, however, must 
correspond with well-established cooperation mechanisms.  For 
instance, Post recommends the formation of a labor working 
group between the two governments with bi-annual reviews of 
progress.  The bi-annual reviews would be an opportunity to 
monitor progress on priority reforms and to obtain updates on 
assistance mechanisms.  The September 2009 visit of an 
inter-agency U.S. labor delegation to Jordan resulted in 
tangible benefits, including Jordan's request for an ILO 
review of its Labor Law and progress to make the Better Work 
Jordan program mandatory.  A larger working group to include 
employers and unions should also be considered.  Any such 
working group should also be mindful of Jordanian 
inter-agency sensitivities and include Jordan's Ministry of 
Industry and Trade, which is the lead GOJ entity on the 
U.S.-Jordan Free Trade Agreement and its related aspects, 
including its labor provisions. 
 
¶22. (SBU) Labor engagement, including any specific 
mechanisms, should focus on the highest priority reforms with 
the understanding that priorities will change over time.  The 
following areas should be given current priority status: 
 
--Labor law reform, including right of association: The 
government's focus on updating the labor code presents an 
excellent opportunity to enhance labor rights for both 
Jordanian and foreign workers in the near-term.  Jordan's 
labor code is generally regarded as favorable to workers but 
refinement could result in such things as union rights for 
foreign workers, greater union independence, improved 
equal-pay-for-equal-work language, and expanded collective 
bargaining rights.  The government must amend its current 
draft amendment package to ensure the above rights are 
clearly articulated and fully obtained.  Targeted USG 
engagement and assistance to the GOJ in terms of substance 
and process on this would be of great value. 
 
--Union independence and effectiveness: Jordan's 17 unions 
are generally viewed as ineffective with relatively little 
power and influence.  One reason is the restrictions placed 
on union formation and the requirement that all unions come 
under the oversight of the GFTU, widely known to be 
influenced significantly by the government.  The government 
has shown little political will to change this structure but 
any step giving individual unions greater autonomy will have 
a positive impact.  A few unions, such as the textile union, 
have tried in practice to step out from under the GFTU with 
varying success.  The textile union, for instance, advocates 
for foreign workers despite GFTU's disagreement.  These 
unions also require additional capacity building as well as 
training on issues such as collective bargaining, advocacy, 
and strategic planning. 
 
--Garment sector conditions: As discussed, significant 
efforts to improve labor conditions in the garment sector has 
resulted in a significant reduction of forced labor.  Reports 
indicate that eradication of forced labor from the vast 
majority of garment factories, but problems continue to 
surface in some of the factories that do not export to the 
U.S. market under the FTA or QIZ programs.  Measures such as 
expanding the Better Work Jordan Program and further 
enhancing inspection efforts would institutionalize current 
 
efforts and result in even better working conditions. 
Enhancing inspection efforts, however, would require more 
inspectors and more training for current inspectors. 
 
--Discrimination: Discrimination in hiring and pay has 
largely not been addressed.  The labor code itself does not 
contain any provisions recognizing the overall principle of 
equality of opportunity and treatment and, while the code 
contains language regarding equal-pay-for-equal-work, such 
provisions are not enforced in a meaningful manner.  Work 
place harassment has also largely gone unaddressed by the 
government.  The government must find ways to start 
addressing these problems, including complaint mechanisms, 
inspectors enforcing such requirements, and raising 
awareness. 
 
--TIP: Jordan has put in-place a substantial legal framework 
to combat TIP but implementation of the framework remains 
weak.  Investigations by the police and labor inspectors have 
increased but there remain relatively few prosecutions, even 
of gross TIP cases.  Victim services are also severely 
limited and there is no shelter for TIP victims, except for 
basic shelters operated by source country embassies.  In 
short, the government remains committed to combating TIP but 
they require additional guidance and technical assistance as 
implementation moves forward.  Effective engagement will also 
help ensure long-term commitment. 
 
¶23. (SBU) Post recommends that the aforementioned engagement 
is coupled with targeted assistance. Short-to-medium term 
assistance requirements are discussed below. 
 
Ongoing Labor Programs 
---------------------- 
 
¶24. (SBU) ILO Better Work Jordan Program (BWJ): The BWJ, 
partially funded by USAID, the IFC and the GOJ, is designed 
to improve labor standards and increase the competitiveness 
of the apparel sector.  BWJ conducts independent factory 
assessments to determine compliance with international and 
Jordanian labor standards.  These reports result in 
corresponding recommendations and strategies to address 
deficiencies and training is offered to help factories 
implement the recommendations.  The factory reports are 
shared with international buyers who can better determine 
compliance with labor standards and steps taken to improve 
performance.  BWJ also brings together the government, 
employers, unions, and buyers to discuss problems faced by 
the sector and to find shared solutions. 
 
¶25. (SBU) Combating Exploitive Child Labor Through Education 
Project (CECLE):  CECLE is a 4-year, $4 million project 
funded by the U.S. Department of Labor with the aim of 
withdrawing 4,000 children from the worst forms of child 
labor (WFCL) and preventing another 4,000 children from 
entering WFCL.  CECLE focus on the provision of direct 
educational services, such as informal and non-formal 
education to out-of-school children throughout Jordan.  CECLE 
will also increase awareness among communities, the private 
sector, and individuals on the dangers of child labor and the 
laws that protect children.  Mechanisms to deter child labor 
and provide services to child laborers will be strengthened. 
For instance, all labor inspectors are being trained on 
detection and how to deal with various instances and types of 
child labor.  The project will revitalize the National 
Committee on Child Labor to coordinate efforts, enhance 
research, develop strategies, and advocate for needed 
legislative changes. 
 
¶26. (SBU) Adviser to the Minister of Labor:  Since 2006, 
USAID has funded an international labor expert to provide 
technical assistance to the Minister of Labor.  Most 
importantly, this adviser led the development of several 
strategies to combat forced labor in the garment sector and 
 
specifically designed the programs to enhance and improve the 
labor inspectorate.  The Adviser either directly, or working 
with implementing partners, has built capacity throughout the 
ministry.  For instance, the training program for labor 
inspectors was significantly improved in addition to the 
tripling of its size.  More recently, the adviser has taken a 
lead on combating TIP, including the drafting of regulations 
for recruitment agencies and regulations governing the rights 
of domestic workers.  The Adviser's contract is currently 
being extended until late spring 2010 after which no direct 
technical assistance within the Ministry will be available. 
 
¶27. (SBU) TIP: The USG has provided various forms of 
technical assistance to support Jordanian efforts to combat 
TIP.  Most recently, the State Department's Office to Combat 
TIP (G/TIP) is funding a U.S. Department of Justice project 
to train judges and lawyers on TIP.  A G/TIP grant to the 
American Bar Association to further conduct judiciary 
training, conduct public awareness, and provide a range of 
technical assistance is also pending.  G/TIP previously 
funded an ILO project to train labor inspectors and other 
government officials on TIP.  This project is now funded by 
the Canadians. 
 
Additional Needs 
---------------- 
 
¶28. (SBU) Expand the Better Work Jordan Program: Discussions 
are underway to make the BWJ mandatory for all garment 
factories.  Currently only 16 of the approximately 80 garment 
factories have signed onto BWJ.  These 16 factories are 
primarily the largest and most well-known producers in the 
sector and export to the U.S. and large U.S. buyers under the 
FTA and QIZ programs.  They also tend to have the best labor 
practices. (Note: BWJ is also discussing participation with 
an additional eight factories to formally join BWJ. End 
Note.) Stakeholders are in general agreement that smaller 
factories, especially those not producing for large brand 
name buyers or those not exporting to the U.S. under the FTA 
or QIZ programs, must be included in the program to obtain a 
complete picture of the labor situation and to improve 
standards throughout the sector.  Primary questions to be 
answered before moving forward include the best mechanism to 
make the program mandatory (e.g. tie participation to foreign 
worker visas) and participation costs (e.g. lowering 
assessment costs as all factories come on board).  Expanding 
BWJ to include all factories will require additional 
resources, such as the hiring of at least one additional 
assessment team.  The estimated cost to make BWJ mandatory 
over the next three years is $600,000. 
 
¶29. (SBU) Union Strengthening: The General Trade Union for 
the Textile and Garment Industry has actively resolved 
thousands of workplace grievances.  They have also educated 
thousands of Jordanian and foreign workers on their rights. 
The union has the potential to do a great deal more to the 
development of strong labor-management relations including 
through further developing enterprise level union committees 
and corresponding collective bargaining strategies.  Focusing 
on effective associations and collective bargaining at the 
enterprise level will be highly beneficial by strengthening 
worker and union voices within the workplace while 
higher-level engagement on union structures continues. 
Strengthening the textile union is a strong compliment to the 
BWJ Program as they try to develop tripartite dialogue.  The 
estimated cost to implement such a project is $400,000 over 
the next three years. 
 
¶30. (SBU) TIP: Labor inspectors, border enforcement 
officials, residency police, and some judges and prosecutors 
have all received individual training on TIP.  Joint training 
of all three parties to enhance cooperation and overall 
investigation and prosecution has not yet been conducted. 
Additionally, the National TIP Committee is completing a plan 
 
and regulations for a TIP shelter and corresponding referral 
system.  The shelter, to be managed by an NGO, will require 
funding.  Efforts to increase public awareness on the 
anti-TIP law and to change public attitudes towards domestic 
workers are also essential.  Post estimates that at least $3 
million over the next three years is needed to implement such 
activities. 
 
¶31. (SBU) Advisers and technical assistance: An adviser 
within the Ministry of Labor was instrumental in the 
development of labor strategies and the ministry's overall 
capacity.  As the Ministry of Labor continues to enhance its 
capacity, especially of the inspectorate, and move forward on 
labor reform, Post anticipates the need for short-term 
technical expertise on a range of specific labor issues.  The 
Ministry, including the current Minister, wants outside 
guidance and expertise to improve labor conditions.  A 
mechanism that would allow access for short-term technical 
assistance on specific labor issues would be extremely 
beneficial. 
 
¶32. (SBU) Employment discrimination and harassment: 
Assistance to combat discrimination and harassment should be 
considered.  While Post has not mapped out specific 
activities or requirements, assistance could include the 
training of labor inspectors and police, strengthening of 
complaint mechanisms, review of legislation and regulations, 
and raising public awareness. 
 
Labor Contacts 
----------------- 
 
¶33. (U) The designated MOL interlocutor regarding labor 
rights is Secretary General Mazan Odeh Nasser, phone number 
962-6-583-3376, e-mail Mazen592003@yahoo.com. 
 
¶34. (U) Post Labor Reporting Officer is Political Officer 
Garret Harries, phone number 962-6-590-6597, fax number 
962-6-592-0159, e-mail harriesgj@state.gov.  The Trade 
Officer dealing with FTA and QIZ issues is Economic Section 
Deputy Chief Ali Lejlic, phone number 862-6-590-6557, fax 
number 962-6-592-7653, email lejilcae@state.gov. 
 
¶35. (U) The ILO is currently the only international (or U.S.) 
organization working on labor issues in Jordan and is 
currently implementing the Better Work Jordan Program as well 
as several smaller projects, including the project to combat 
TIP.  The ILO point of contact in Jordan is Phil Fishman, 
phone number 962-6-565-3807, fax number 962-6-565-3991, 
e-mail fishman@betterwork.org.  The Solidarity Center 
recently closed its Jordan office and has no on-going 
projects to assist Jordan's labor unions. 
 
¶36. (U) The primary local organization engaged on labor 
rights is the National Center for Human Rights (NCHR).  NCHR 
maintains a labor complaint mechanism and investigated all 
complaints, especially those originating from garment 
factories or by domestic workers.  The NCHR also played a 
role in drafting Jordan's anti-TIP law as well as domestic 
worker and recruitment agency regulations.  NCHR point of 
contact is Atef Al-Majali, phone number 962-6-593-1256, fax 
number 962-6-593-0072, e-mail atefmajali@hotmail.com. 
Beecroft