ASEZA, ACPOM develop roadmap for worker safety at Aqaba port

AMMAN — Occupational, health and safety of Aqaba port workers is Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority’s (ASEZA) “top concern”, according to ASEZA.

Workers of the Aqaba Company for Ports Operation and Management (ACPOM) on Monday resumed work after ending a strike. 

Jordan’s Aqaba Port workers were on strike and demanded officials to guarantee them additional safety measures at the port’s terminals and yards, in addition to other financial demands, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra. 

Hamzeh Hajj Hassan, deputy chief commissioner of ASEZA, told The Jordan Times on Tuesday that ASEZA met with the port’s employees, “who have the right to care for their safety and lives”. 

“The total workforce of Jordan’s Aqaba port stands at 2,370 employees. However, the port can operate with 700 to 800 employees,” Hajj Hassan added.

“The workforce is also entitled to get proper occupational safety training. Furthermore, ASEZA is currently working on all safety requirements of the port and its employees,” he added. 

Hajj Hassan said that all the financial budgeting and public safety measures are “well taken care of” on ASEZA’s part. 

He noted that safety measures were not followed by employees of the Aqaba port when receiving shipments of toxic and chemical substances. 

“The port has the capacity to handle these shipments, in terms of machinery and procedures. However, there’s a deficiency in following safety protocol, which needs to be followed in order to keep employees safe,” Hajj Hassan said.

He attributed this deficiency to a “weakness” in human resources and that the overall weakness resulted from an “inapt” recruiting process, as well as work overload at the port. 

“Employees were not capable of dealing with these sorts of shipments,” Hajj Hassan said. 

However, he added that ASEZA and ACPOM are currently working to develop a clear roadmap that highlights the safety of workers.