Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Hundreds of workers at Al Hassa phosphate mines went on strike on Sunday in protest of the company's lack of response to meet workers' demands, and over the agreement concluded between the company and the Mining Workers Union.

The workers protested what they considered "stalling" on the part of the Jordan Phosphates Mining Corporation (JPMC) in meeting the workers demands for better work conditions.

The strike halted all operations, production, and export at Al Hassa mines in Tafileh governorate, member of the independent mining workers' Mohammad al-Khatba said, noting that head of the trade Khalid Fanatsa signed an agreement with JPMC management at the Ministry of Labor last Friday without consultation with members of the board.

The mine workers are protesting the means of concluding the agreement between the and the company, in addition to the company's refusal to meet any of the demands included in the agreement.

Hassa mines laborers noted that the company has not met the demands of better work conditions that have been documented in a number of agreements with the company.

The workers crowded at the doors of Al Hassa and Wadi al-Abyadh mines gates, calling for better work conditions, financial and administer structuring of the company, increase wages of mine workers, better living and work conditions, and providing end-of-service severance packages as an integral part of the employee affairs by-laws.

The workers also called for fair implementation of the medical insurance system following retirement, to include children of mine workers in the insurance plans, in addition to reconsidering housing loans provided to mine workers.