More Jordanians applying for sanitation worker jobs in Amman — GAM

AMMAN — The number of Jordanians applying for sanitation worker jobs is on the rise, a Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) official said on Monday. 

Izz Eddein Shammout, GAM’s deputy director for the city’s administrative affairs, said the municipality, which is in need of new workers, wants to hire as many Jordanians as possible for this position.

“We have been rejecting applications from guest workers,” he told The Jordan Times over the phone.

“During the past three years, we have received around 9,300 applications,” he said, but did not give specific figures about the number of Jordanian applicants. 

Shammout noted that around 4,600 sanitation workers are deployed in areas affiliated with the municipality, and around 360 of them are not Jordanians. 

He stressed that the “culture of shame” no longer influences Jordanians when it comes to this kind of job. 

“There are a number of job benefits that have attracted many Jordanians such as medical insurance and social security,” Shammout added. 

The municipality official said sanitation staff, who work eight hours a day, are also paid “good salaries”, ranging between JD300 and JD350. 

Under GAM regulations those applying for the job should not have an academic degree, including a General Secondary Certificate Examination (Tawjihi).

“Some people used to start working in sanitation, and then produce certificates after continuing their education to demand a desk job instead,” Shammout noted.