On the 11 of December, during the ILO ATUC Multi - stakeholder workshop on Empowering and organizing migrant workers in Jordan, BWI joined workers in an industrial action.
BWI MENA Region Coordinator Wassim Rifi, and the President of BWI affiliate GTUCW, Mahmoud Al Hiyary, participated in a strike by 50 migrant workers from Syria, Egypt and India working on a project for the MNC ARABTEC, building four towers for the MNC ARABTEC at the 5th circle in Amman.
The workers had not been paid their salaries for October and November. During the action, the head of the responsible subcontractor was hiding in his office.
Wassim Rifi, Mahmoud Al Hiyary and two inspectors from the Jordanian Ministry of Labor listened to the complaints of workers. They visited the office of the employer, who received a written warning from the inspectors.
Discussions between the employer, BWI and the GTUCW led to the signature of a collective agreement which provided for:
- The direct payment of the October salary;
- A 10-day deadline to pay the November salary;
- The right of workers to communicate at any time directly with the Union; and
- Visits by the Union to the worksite.