The president of the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions, Mazen Maaytah, said that the decision of increasing minimum wage, agreed upon by the Tripartite Committee for Labour Affairs, will not have a negative impact on the economy after the government’s program to support different sectors and enforce the social protection of workers.
He added that the economic sectors and activities impacted by the crisis will be exempted from this decision in order to protect its employers. He argues that increasing the minimum wage of the workers contributes to the raise of the workers’ salaries, boosts the economy, and increases purchasing power.
Maaytah adds that workers with minimum wage salaries make 20% of the total number of workers in the private sector, a majority of unexperienced or unskilled workers. The increase of minimum wage salaries is not important because, on the one hand, the wage rate is 400 dinar and, on the other, the poverty line ranges from 700 and 800 dinar.
He claims that this decision reflects social partnership between workers, employers, and the government. The decision was taken in accordance with the living conditions of the workers and the interests of the economic facilities particularly in the current situation of Covid-19. He argues that developed countries that use this method agree that boosting the economy heavily depends on increasing the purchasing power, which can be done only by raising salaries.
#Jordan # General_Federation_of_Jordanian_Trade_Unions #minimum_wage #salary_increase
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