Sweets, restaurant sector faces allegations of labour violations

AMMAN — Sweet shops and budget-friendly restaurants have witnessed numerous labour violations during the holy month of Ramadan, according to the freelancers and service workers association.

In a statement made available to The Jordan Times, Khaled Abu Marjoub, president of the freelancers and service workers association, said: “The association has detected labour violations in the sweets and budget-friendly restaurants sector, related to employee wages, working hours and overtime payment.”

He said that working extra hours during Ramadan has imposed additional burdens on sector employees who have not received their guaranteed labour rights.

Abu Marjoub called on the Ministry of Labour to step up its inspections to check on restaurants’ labour conditions. He pointed out that “work continuity should not be at the expense of workers’ rights”.

Meanwhile, President of the Jordan Association for Restaurants and Sweet Shops Owners Omar Awad told The Jordan Times, that “the statements made regarding labour violations in the restaurant sector are clearly exaggerated and are loaded with inaccuracies”.

Further, Awad said that there is a “clear commitment” towards sector employees, regardless of their nationalities and nature of work. 

“Saying that their financial rights are violated is not acceptable,” he said.

The nature of work during the holy month is “exceptional” and is based on the distribution of work shifts before and after iftar (the fast-breaking meal at sunset), which changed business hours, he highlighted.

The statements should include the number of complaints, according to Awad, who noted that the association has not received any complaints until now.

“There are a lot of exploited workers who are forced to work extra hours without being paid in all sectors, but in my case I ensure that people’s rights are respected, even before I get my profit if there is any,” Mahmoud Amer, a Jordanian restaurant owner, told The Jordan Times on Sunday.