Ammon News - Since the beginning of 2021, the Ministry of Labor has carried out 14,751 field visits to economic establishments countrywide and detected 420 child labor cases in violation of Jordan's Labor Law.

The ministry took legal measures against 67 violating cases, and issued 219 warnings against flouting employers, according to its press statement on Saturday.

On reasons behind the phenomenon, the ministry said child labor "is linked to the difficult economic situation of some families who resort to hiring and employing their children to secure part of their living requirements," said the statement.

The statement added that the phenomenon has especially exacerbated in light of the Covid-19 pandemic-induced circumstances, without paying attention to the legal violations that prevent employment of children under the age of 16yrs, according to Article 73 of the Labor Law, which states: "It is not permissible in any way to employ a juvenile who has not completed the age of sixteen in any way."

According to a study conducted by Tamkeen, a Jordanian non-governmental organisation that works on protecting rights of the most vulnerable groups in society, child labor is concentrated in the sectors of restaurants, groceries, construction, blacksmithing, vehicle mechanics, carpentry, loading and unloading, and receive less than the minimum wage of JD260 monthly, in addition to working long hours without compensation.

Head of General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions (GFTU), said child labor has "negative" effects on the entire labor sector, stressing the importance of vocational and technical training as a key solution offered to combat this phenomenon for those over 16 years old.