Jordan – Dozens of tailors announced that they will protest tomorrow in front of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Supply to demand decent work opportunities, and to save their profession from deterioration. In a related context, Jordanian Labour Watch, the Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies, called on authorities to reconsider the free trade agreements signed by Jordan with several agencies and governments to protect the national clothing industry. In a press statement issued the center revealed that the number of sewing workshops in the Kingdom has dropped from 7000 in 2007 to 650 currently, one third of which is in the capital, while the number of workers in the sector has declined from 21,000 to 8,000 for the same period. The Jordanian tailors currently working in local workshops form only 25 per cent of the total workers in the industry as most of them are Bangladeshi who control jobs in the sector, the statement said, based on an expanded report done by the the labour watch. Females constitute about 20% of the total workers; the study also revealed that minors (12-15 years) form 5% of workers in this sector. The statement said that at least (1200) workshops closed its doors by the year 2000, resulting in high unemployment rate among domestic tailors to 60%
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