'Unemployed Maanis claim solar projects hiring illegal guest workers'

AMMAN — Unemployed citizens in Maan have been complaining about the increase in the number of guest labourers who have no permits but are working in solar projects in Maan Development Area, depriving the local community of the opportunities, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Monday. 

The spread of guest workers, mainly Bulgarians, and in "large numbers" without official work permits has deprived many locals of job opportunities in the solar power projects affiliated with the Maan Development Company (MDC), Maan citizens told Petra. 

Khaled Abu Dayyeh, head of the unemployed youth committee in Maan, claimed that there are many Bulgarian, Greek and Egyptian guest workers, whose number are still on the rise due to the lack of supervision by the concerned authorities. 

He said that 75 young Maani men who worked at solar power projects had their service terminated and were replaced by guest labourers.

Abu Dayyeh urged the concerned authorities to intervene and intensify supervision on illegal foreign workers to stop such violations and guarantee the rights of local youths to access available jobs. 

Alaa Asali, a lawyer of the German company working on MDC's solar projects, told Petra that his company signed an agreement with a Bulgarian company while working on the project.

He said the firm is not officially registered yet but its official registration is in progress, adding that the German company does not have any information regarding the number of workers brought by the Bulgarian firm to work in the projects. 

There are around 100 Bulgarian workers in the project, an informed source at the German company told Petra.

For her part, Arwa Rafaiaa, director of the labour office in Maan, said the inspection team conducts regular field visits to the solar projects to check on workers and detect violations to take the necessary legal measures.