Better Work Jordan
Established in 2008 as a partnership programme of the ILO and the IFC, Better Work Jordan brings diverse groups together - employers, factory owners, trade unions, global brands and governments - to improve working conditions and enhance business competitiveness in the global garment industry.
It strives for an export-oriented Jordanian garment industry that lifts people out of poverty by providing decent work, empowering women and driving business competitiveness and inclusive economic growth.
Better Work Jordan works to strengthen the capacity of tripartite constituents – government, workers and employers – to fulfill their mandates in promoting decent work outcomes. As a first for Better Work, Better Work Jordan tested successfully an innovative labour inspection secondment programme to build the capacity of labour inspectors to conduct high quality inspections. In recent years, the programme has also worked with other technical teams within the ILO, including experts on occupational safety and health (OSH), to equip Ministry of Labor (MoL) inspectors with the tools, skills and knowledge to undertake factory assessments using Better Work methodology. This initiative resulted in the establishment of a dedicated Better Work Unit at the MoL tasked with conducting inspections in the garment, plastic, chemical and engineering sectors jointly with Better Work Jordan staff.
Our Strategic Goals
Better Work Jordan’s 2022-2027 strategic phase will work to achieve the following outcomes:
By 2027, Jordan’s garment industry will have an effective system of tripartite-plus labour market governance, in which workers’ rights are upheld and protected in line with national labour laws and core international labour standards.
By 2027, export growth combined with active labour market policies will increase the garment industry’s contribution to Jordanian employment.
By 2027, Better Work Jordan will have made a positive impact on working conditions and labour market governance beyond Jordan’s export-oriented garment industry.
Latest news
Better Work Jordan’s mental‑health project helps maintain wellbeing for workers in the garment sector
AMMAN, Jordan – At a nearby garment factory, rows of workers sit elbow‑to‑elbow, cutting and stitching fabric in perfect harmony. Between the machines’ sharp, steady hiss, softer sounds slip through: a shaky breath, a voice‑note about a feverish child, a whispered hope that this month’s pay will stretch far enough. Most operators balance two worlds—stitching …
Contribution to Priority Themes
Better Work Jordan’s strategy contributes to five of the priority themes set out in the Better Work Global strategy. It also includes migration as an additional theme. These themes crosscut the strategic goals and will be present in our factory engagement, research, policy influencing and content produced as well as affect how we allocate our human and financial resources.
Environmental sustainability
Better Work Jordan is currently conducting research on the environmental impacts of the garment sector and will work with stakeholders in the industry and organizations in Jordan to apply recommendations from this research.
Data and evidence
To build a sustainable knowledge base on Jordan’s garment industry, and on labour issues in the country more broadly, Better Work Jordan will support stakeholders’ capacity to collect, analyze and effectively disseminate their own data. Better Work Jordan will also support the garment industry trade union to improve its communication and engagement with the workers.
Gender equality and inclusion
Better Work Jordan will foster women’s economic empowerment by promoting an enabling environment that provides opportunities for women’s career development. The programme will strengthen women’s voice in factories, labour management committees and the garment industry trade union and reduce gender-based discrimination, including violence and harassment in the workplace.
Occupational safety and health (OSH)
Better Work Jordan will work with the Social Security Corporation and the MoL on OSH-related non-compliance issues, while also strengthening OSH committees in factories. Better Work Jordan will also work with partners at the policy level to assess the structural integrity of dorms in the garment sector and propose improvements.
Social dialogue
Strengthening social dialogue between and management at the factory level, as well as at the sectoral level through the work of the sectoral council, Better Work Jordan will support national stakeholders’ efforts to develop robust social dialogue institutions and processes in Jordan’s garment industry.
