Auxiliary health workers call for union or a law that protects them

AMMAN — The National Committee for Auxiliary Health Occupation called on the concerned authorities to release the draft law of the Union of Auxiliary Medical Occupation, claiming that its workers do not have a union or a legal umbrella to defend and protect their rights. اضافة اعلان

A member of the committee who spoke on condition of anonymity told Jordan News that the demands are many, but the most prominent is the release of a union law, "especially since we have had approval for the establishment of a union since 2012".

He added that since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the burden on workers in this sector has increased, "yet, unfortunately, despite that, we do not enjoy the rights we deserve, like the rest of our colleagues who work under a legal umbrella that protects them".

He also said that a few of their demands were fulfilled, however, "the release of the union law is our most important and prominent demand".

Alaa, an auxiliary health worker who refused to give his name, told Jordan News that he and his colleagues have been asking for a long time to have their professional status improved, just like that of the rest of the professionals working for the Ministry of Health.

He also said that they are more at risk than others, so it is important that they be granted an allowance for hazardous work, as well as a transportation allowance, for everyone, without exception, and an overtime allowance for whoever it applies.

He stressed that a union would contribute to improving the auxiliary health workers’ social and economic status and protecting their rights, saying that "I call on the government to take this demand seriously and to issue the draft law as soon as possible."

An official source at the Legislation and Opinion Bureau told Jordan News that "the bureau has to review each draft law submitted to us, whereas legal experts study each law in order to submit it to another authority, such as the Lower House of Parliament, for example. Once the bureau has finished all the necessary legal procedures, it will issue the draft law without any delay”.

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