AMMAN - The Social Security Corporation (SSC) board, the largest shareholder in the Jordan Press Foundation (JPF), on Wednesday agreed to meet the major demands of JPF employees, who have been protesting for weeks.
The decision was taken during a meeting that brought together Labour Minister Mahamoud Al Kafawin, Minister of State for Media Affairs and Communications Taher Odwan and Director General of the SSC Maan Nsour with representatives of the JPF employees who have threatened to stage a strike on Saturday unless their demands are met.
During the meeting, the demands of the protesters were discussed, according to Al Rai Deputy Chief Editor Tareq Momani, who said that "openness and a positive atmosphere prevailed".
"They agreed to give a monthly raise of JD100 to workers with salaries below JD800 and JD50 to those paid more than that. The SSC also agreed to give all workers an additional month pay bonus this year and to be included in the social security subscription as of next year," Momani told The Jordan Times yesterday after the meeting.
He added that the labour minister, who is the SSC chairman, agreed in principle to discuss adding workers who are not officially appointed to the payroll. This group receive a monthly allowance without any of the other benefits such as health insurance, bonus salaries and stock option.
According to Momani, the minister "decided to set up a committee to look into other demands such as improved health insurance, end-of-service benefits and reactivation of the workers' provident fund".
Earlier in the day, scores of JPF employees blocked the vital Queen Rania Street for few hours causing traffic jams.
Soon after the SSC word spread about the approval of their demands, a jubilant atmosphere prevailed.
Two weeks ago, scores of JPF employees signed a petition informing the management of their intention to carry out a work stoppage.
According to the Labour Law, when a group of employees plans to carry out a work stoppage, they have to inform the labour ministry as well as their employer in writing 14 days before the planned strike.
The protesters said they decided to escalate action because the management of the JPF, which publishes Al Rai, The Jordan Times and Hatem children's magazine, has ignored their demands, which call for a package of measures to enhance their financial status.
Some of the protesting employees went as far as requesting the dismissal of top managers and Al Rai's editor-in-chief for turning the newspaper into "a mouthpiece for consecutive governments".
Last week, JPF Chairman Fahed Fanek announced that he was quitting his post as the foundation announced plans to raise its capital.
Fanek announced his resignation, which will take effect at the end of the month, during a JPF general assembly ordinary session last Thursday.
During the meeting, Fanek, a renowned columnist and commentator, said the protesters' demands were being looked into by the JPF's main stakeholder, the SSC, which owns 55 per cent of the shares and which "has the final say on the issue".
© Jordan Times 2011
