Project Case Study
Helping Jordan to avoid the effects of labour disputes
Supporting the Ministry of Labour to prevent and resolve work place disputes
In Jordan, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of labour disputes since 2010, with the number doubling between 2009 and 2012.
Industrial disputes are disruptive and introduce problems of cohesion in the community, stifled economic growth and job opportunities and interruption of the supply chains that underpin the private sector.
The project aimed to sustainably reduce the frequency and impact of labour disputes through capacity-building for core institutions and systemic reform to open up new pathways for dispute resolution.
Technical assistance was provided through three workstreams.
Workstreams
- Prevention:
Promoting labour dispute avoidance through the Jordan Better Workplace Association (JBWA). JBWA provided direct support to firms to prevent conflict – for example by providing legal advice and free standard contracts – and equipped companies to use fast and cheap early interventions (such as mediation) to de-escalate labour conflicts quickly. - Prioritisation:
Supporting the Ministry of Labour to resolve disputes more efficiently through practical training and alternative approaches. - Progression:
Improving data collection and analysis to enable a more detailed understanding of the nature of labour disputes.
Impact
- 35% increase (since 2015) in the number of Collective Bargaining Agreements
- 24% increase in the number of formal disputes resolved at mediation stage (since 2016)
- 26 Ministry of Labour mediators appointed and over 80% of labour disputes referred to trained mediators.
- JBWA mediation training provided to more than 250 participants from the private sector (from 50 enterprises, including workshops for some enterprises
