(MENAFN- Jordan Times) Around 80 workers and union representatives gathered outside Parliament in Abdali on Sunday to protest the exclusion of the 2010 amendments to the Social Security Law from the agenda of the lawmakers' third extraordinary session.
Union leaders last week expressed surprise that the two-year-old temporary law, which the unions have condemned as unjust toward workers, was not on the agenda of the extraordinary session and threatened protests if the agenda was not amended.
The legislature is constitutionally required during extraordinary sessions to discuss only those items listed in its agenda.
Electricity Workers Union (EWU) President Ali Hadid, speaking on behalf of the demonstrators, said the union workers were outraged that the government had broken a promise officials had made to them at a meeting in February following a 250-person demonstration against the temporary Social Security Law.
"We had a meeting with government representatives, including deputies, who promised us that they would put this law on the agenda for this session," he told The Jordan Times outside Parliament, stressing that the protest could have been avoided had the government made good on this pledge.
The minimum age of early retirement, which the 2010 temporary law raised from 45 to 50, is the topic of one of the unions' major objections to the law.
In the February meeting, "they promised to decrease the early age of retirement from 50 to 48", the EWU president said.
According to Hadid, in addition to the EWU, Sunday's demonstration was attended by members of the General Trade Union of Petroleum and Chemical Workers, the Trade Union for Workers in Mining and Metal Industries, the General Union the of Air Transport and Tourism and a group representing retirees.
Fayez Shuara, a member of the air transport union, said the temporary law was "unfair" in raising the early retirement age, especially for workers in industries where they are exposed to hazardous environments and cannot work past middle age.
Dawood Salem, another protester, agreed with Shuara, adding that many workers had become ill because of the harsh conditions in which they worked.
"Many workers are sick and they are longing to retire early and rest," he said.
Salem added that the way in which pensions are calculated under the 2010 law is also unfair.
"Under the temporary law, a worker's pension is calculated based on his salary during the past five years, whereas in the old version, it was the last two years of work. If the workers' salary is low, he will not receive a fair pension," he said.
Shuara said parliamentarians had a responsibility to their constituents to make changes to the Social Security Law in line with the unions' demands.
"If the law is not amended, it will reflect negatively on every Jordanian family," he said.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.