According to the “Jordan Times” report, the chairman of the Jordanian General Federation of Textile Industry Labor said that the global financial crisis and reduced orders in the US market have forced garment companies in QIZ to reduce production. Several factories have submitted applications to the Ministry of Labor, requesting internal changes. Related provisions to lay off employees. According to the Jordanian Ministry of Labor, nine garment companies in QIZ have submitted applications including temporary layoffs to the Ministry of Labor so far. The chairman pointed out that even if the factory lays off workers, nearly one-third of Jordanian workers in the QIZ will have priority to retain their positions, and the crisis will have less impact on Jordanian workers than foreign workers. At the same time, the chairman also emphasized that enterprises in QIZ have still not raised the minimum wage of workers to JD 150 per month, and called on the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Social Security to take measures against employers in QIZ to forcefully raise the minimum wage standard. Currently, the minimum wage for 85% of Jordanian workers in the QIZ is still the original 110 Jordanians.
The Secretary-General of the Ministry of Labor said that after receiving a commitment from employers in QIZ to comply with the minimum wage standard, a special meeting has been arranged to discuss how to implement the new wage standard. The Ministry of Labor will check the social insurance amounts of employees in the QIZ and indirectly confirm whether the minimum wage of employees in the QIZ is paid, otherwise measures will be taken against the employer.
In recent years, there are currently 92 garment enterprises in QIZ. The number of Jordanian workers has dropped from 23,387 in 2004 to 10,467 in 2008, while the number of foreign workers has increased from 24,749 to 44,000.
