AMMAN - XPress Telecommunications acknowledged that "difficult financial conditions" were behind a decision to suspend some of its employees "temporarily", but insisted that it did not force any staff member to resign or take unpaid leave.
Last week, the company submitted its request for restructuring as it seeks to attract a new investor to "inject money in the company so it can continue to operate in the Jordanian market", according to VTEL Holdings, which owns 55 per cent of the company.
Company officials said Tuesday that its 76 employees "are still in their positions", stressing that none of them was laid off after the private shareholding firm submitted a request for restructuring to the Ministry of Labour.
They added that those suspended are still benefiting from other rights such as health insurance.
The officials also acknowledged that there has been a delay in paying August salaries to its employees, as the company is "going through very difficult financial conditions", which it described as an "unprecedented situation" that did not occur since the establishment of the company in 2002.
Ministry of Labour Secretary General Mazen Oudeh has said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times that the suspension of employees was in violation of labour regulations as employees should not be suspended from their work before the ad hoc committee looking in the restructuring request finalises its work.
The government, employers and workers at the company are represented on the panel, which will forward its recommendations to the labour minister.
The company insisted in a statement that it was abiding by the law and any procedures taken regarding the employees will be in line with labour regulations. The statement said that all requirements related to the restructuring application have been met.
XPress Telecommunications launched its services in June 2004 in the Jordanian market offering a new form of telecommunications solutions based on the Integrated Digital Enhanced Network technology.
XPress is the first Arab company in the Middle East to introduce the technology, which combines the abilities of ordinary mobile phones with the instantaneous Direct Connect (walkie-talkie) service.
By Mohammad Ghazal
© Jordan Times 2010
