Date: 30 April 2008
Title: His Majesty King Abdullah II's letter to the President of the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions on the occasion of Labour Day 2008


In the name of God, the Most Merciful, the Compassionate,

Your Excellency Mazen Maaitah, president of the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions, may God keep you,

Peace, God's mercy and blessings be upon you.

It is our pleasure to extend to you, on Labour Day, our warmest greetings and best wishes for continued success and excellence for the homeland's workers, the builders of its glory, the men and women who are the champions of our development.

Among the most important characteristics of the march of progress in our homeland are the qualities of its labour force: excellence in and enthusiasm for work, recognition of the importance of loyalty in giving and contributing to Jordan's advancement.

Thus, all the institutions concerned with labour and labourers reciprocate Jordanian labourers' loyalty and dedication with attention, support and empowerment, so that labourers would boost their productivity. This is the true indicator of continuity and sustainability in our national economy's growth.

The training and empowerment of the Jordanian worker, along with Jordan's geographical position and its international political and economic relations, are the basis for enhancing Jordan's economic competitiveness, and its ability to attract international investment that provides proper job opportunities for Jordanians, men and women.

Here, the role of the Jordanian trade unions and their general federation is more obvious in making maximum use of what the promising labour sectors provide in terms of job and economic opportunities, to ensure that our sons and daughters get the largest share in providing these sectors with trained qualified labour.

Building on this, we urge our trade unions, those highly qualified institutions and sponsors of expertise, who are the main partner in productivity, to communicate with employers and investors in promising sectors, and with those national institutions that qualify and train the work force, to link training with these sectors' needs, so that the qualifications and skills of our youth are enhanced, and that they may present themselves as skilled and outstanding professional workers in Jordan and throughout the region.

The government and our national institutions will continue their relentless work to ensure that all sectors, foremost of which is the national labour force, are provided with appropriate benefits such as health insurance, distinguished education and competent transportation, to empower and protect the national labour force economically and socially in the face of pressure caused by fluctuations in the international economy.

We seize this opportunity to express our pride in the pioneering role of the General Federation of Jordanian Trade Unions, especially in the last few years which witnessed positive economic growth rates and resulted, in part, in a large number of job opportunities for Jordanian youth. We look forward to your continued generous giving to enable us to stand up to mounting challenges, boldly and courageously, and to move forward in our efforts to build Jordan first and always, now and in the future.

We congratulate you and we congratulate the homeland on Labour Day, the day to appreciate all Jordanians who work, each in his own capacity, to build a bright future for our homeland.

May God keep you as an asset for Jordan and a giving strong hand.

May God grant all of us success in the service of our beloved Jordan.

Peace, God's mercy and blessings be upon you.

Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein
Amman, 30 April 2008