Municipality strikers reach agreement to fulfill demands

AMMAN — Municipality strikers on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding  (MoU) with officials from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs to start implementing labourers' demands in accordance with administrative and legal mechanisms in place, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

According to the MoU, which was signed in the presence of Parliamentary Labour Committee Chairman Khaled Fanatseh, the ministry pledged to meet labourers' demands through the proper legal procedures, and to change the sanitation labourers' status from part-time employees to a permanent contract system "if possible".

The memorandum also stated that these pledges will be implemented in the 2019 budget, and that Saturday working hours will be compensated during weekdays.

The ministry will also consider establishing public safety departments in all municipalities across the Kingdom effective next year, in addition to adopting job descriptions and positions at the workplace in line with the civil service by-law.

Regarding bonuses and other incentives, the ministry said that the submitted recommendations in that regard will be studied and the concerned regulations will be reconsidered. 

The two parties agreed to refer the savings fund issue to a company specialised in actuarial studies to provide recommendations on regulating the fund's investments.

Municipal workers who recently grouped themselves in a newly-established union resumed their strike last week, demanding “better work and living conditions” after having agreed to suspend it upon a request from Lower House Speaker Atef Tarawneh hoping to find solutions to meet their demands.