Garment manufacturing was among the sectors discussed, alongside construction, agriculture, services and domestic work. The focus is relevant for apparel producers because garment manufacturing was identified as one of the key sectors in Jordan that relies on migrant labour.
ILO and GFJTU held a three-day Amman workshop to strengthen migrant workers’ representation in Jordan’s trade unions.
Garment manufacturing was among sectors in focus, alongside construction, agriculture, services and domestic work.
Talks also covered fair recruitment, organising, grievance handling and access to justice for migrant workers.
The three-day workshop brought together GFJTU leadership, representatives of its newly established Migrant Workers Unit, sectoral trade unions in sectors employing large numbers of migrant workers and representatives of the newly established Domestic Workers Committee, the ILO said in a press statement.
Participants reviewed challenges across recruitment and employment, including abusive recruitment practices, inadequate working conditions, barriers to justice and limited opportunities to organise and exercise trade union rights through representation and collective bargaining. Sessions considered union responses such as stronger outreach, membership growth, trust-building and routes for migrant workers to take part in union decision-making and leadership.
The workshop also examined gender dimensions of labour migration, with attention to women migrant workers and migrant domestic workers. On the final day, representatives of the Ministry of Labour, the Jordan Chamber of Industry, civil society organisations and United Nations agencies joined trade union representatives and the ILO to discuss dispute prevention, grievance mechanisms, referral pathways and institutional coordination.
The ILO further stated the workshop supports GFJTU’s reform strategy, including operationalising its Migrant Workers Unit and identifying priorities for a migrant workers policy and action plan.
It was organised by the ILO with support from the Fair Recruitment Forward project, funded by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the FAIRWAY programme, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Fibre2Fashion News Desk
