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General Trade Union of Construction Workers in Jordan / GTUCW
GTUCW was established in 1953 in Jerusalem. The major objectives of the trade union were:
“Taking care of the interests of construction workers and defending their rights, provide health care and social services to the workers in the construction sector, establishing medical clinics and social welfare institutions for them, and pgrade the economic, professional and cultural level of workers in the construction sector.”
The construction sector includes all activities of construction, maintenance of buildings, dams, tunnels, bridges and arches. Construction, paving of roads and streets, manufacturing of bricks, tiles, marble, mosaics and granite, in addition to stone cutting, grinding and hammering, ceramic and pottery industry, wood cutting and sawing, windows and doors industry, fixed and movable building tools and equipment, iron, aluminum, asbestos, cement industry and any work related to it such as cork industry. It includes also blacksmithing, carpentry and any other jobs related to construction”.
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In this context, we would like to mention the experience of GTUCW in Jordan and the difficulties and challenges faced in defending workers’ interests and rights, upgrading their abilities and awareness, refining their skills and developing the spirit of unionism among them despite the scarcity of resources and the difficulty of working in an environment dominated by bureaucracy and prevailing Categorical interests of influential people and employers.
One of the results of the efforts of the GTUCW in Jordan was improving wage levels, applying the minimum wage policy, protecting the weak and unorganized groups in the labor market, providing social protection against risks, and ensuring appropriate coverage of medical insurance, compensation for unemployment, old age, disability and death…etc., and to be enrolled in social security. The union’s efforts also contributed to working to enhance the terms, conditions and work environment, including:
- Reducing the daily and weekly working hours, and improving the value of the overtime hours.
- Improving vacation periods, rest opportunities, and providing recreational and programs.
Through the distinguished efforts of the President of GTUCW in Jordan, Mr. Mahmoud Al-Hiyari, over the past two decades, he managed to implement many training programs and trade union activities in cooperation with the BWI, the Dutch Trade Union Confederation (FNV), the Trade Union in Denmark 3F and the National Company for Employment and Training. This had a significant impact on developing workers’ awareness; improve their skills and their working conditions. These programs included both migrant and local workers. Women also had a prominent role in these programs to encourage their participation in the labor movement and union’s activity.
The President of GTUCW in Jordan has developed an ambitious plan for activities and training programs for the year 2022 aiming to improve the conditions of workers from a professional point of view, increasing their union awareness and educate them their labor rights based on the Jordanian Labor Law. The number of activities, according to the set plan, is 26 activities, and the number of workers participating in the training courses is 340.
Later on the president will determine the appropriate activities and the number of workers to be enrolled in training programs based on the financial allocations and the reasonable timing schedule.
The President of GTUCW in Jordan shall consult with the donors to determine the number of activities, and number of workers to participate in the training courses and workshops.
What are the objectives of the GTUCW in Jordan?
Union work is based on achieving a set of goals, programs and activities that come as a natural response to developments, changes and growth in any society. This requires the trade union to get adapted with the surrounding conditions and pressures existed in the work environment. This change should not harm the labor movement, and protects interests. The trade union is always keen to achieve its goals by setting plans, executive mechanisms, work programs, activities, structures, human resources, financial capabilities and secure financing for its projects that aim to promote the workers’ conditions and upgrade their capabilities and awareness in respect to their legal rights and to adopt the best methods to defend these rights. From this standpoint, the objectives of the GTUWC in Jordan are as follows:
- Protecting the interests of workers and defending their legal and moral rights.
- Improve the work and life conditions and to ensure that such conditions are based on dignity and humanitarian equity.
- Upgrading the labor and union reality by rooting the idea and ideology and working on it
- Adopting appropriate concepts and positive values to build organized union bases capable of achieving their legitimate hopes and aspirations
- Create, maintain new job opportunities and provide them to everyone capable to perform them.
- Enhancing stability in work relations, and to keep a balance in the work environment between workers and employers, in terms of respecting their dignity.
- Organizing training programs and seminars to upgrade the professional level of workers, develop their awareness of union work, and know their labor rights.
The ultimate aim of holding training courses is to upgrade the capabilities of the participant workers, polish their professional skills, increase awareness and knowledge of their labor rights and methods of defending them, and spread this awareness among their fellow workers who are not participating in the training courses and activities. It is also more important to create awareness of union work and prepare a generation of leading workers who are able to practice union work in a manner that serves the interests of construction workers in Jordan and achieves the union’s goals represented in protecting the workers’ interests and their right. It is needless to say that preserving a decent work environment and to secure social protection against risks, threats and challenges is the ley to keep workers enthusiastic to perform their duties and secure for the business owners a stability of their work.
The Major Achievements of GTUCW in Jordan:
GTUCW has 20 trade union committees distributed all over the regions of Jordan.
Upgrading the efficiency of administrative workers.
GTUCW has many union leaders and union committees capable of dealing with events.
GTUCW president holds the position of Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab Federation of Construction and Wood Workers, and the position of Representative of the Arab Region to the International Federation of Building Workers BWI
GTUCW concluded Cooperation protocols with many Arab trade unions for construction and wood workers and different civil society institutions.
GTUCW contributed to the training of (Jordanian and Syrian migrants) in the field of construction sector and related professions.
GTUCW provided training opportunities for young Jordanians workers and Syrian migrants who were affected by the Syrian crisis.
GTUCW contributed to the recognition of prior learning and professional certification.
GTUCW developed the skills of both Jordanian and Syrian youth.
GTUCW educated the construction workers about their legal rights and duties through giving continuous awareness lectures in the various governorates of the Kingdom.
GYUCW prepared construction workers for entering the labor market, career guidance and life skills.
GTUCW managed to keep social cohesion.
- GTUCW managed to enhance the occupational safety and health care in the job sites.
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