Labor Rights Recognition (8.2.9)

Recognition of workers’ rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining for all staff.

Introduction:

Al-Ahliyya Amman University (AAU) affirms its commitment to protecting workers’ rights by recognizing freedom of association, collective bargaining, and workers’ participation in institutional decision-making.
Through the Union and Labour Rights Recognition Procedure, AAU guarantees that all employees faculty members, administrative staff, technical teams, international staff, and outsourced workers have unrestricted access to representation bodies, employee councils, and consultation mechanisms.

This commitment ensures that all employees can freely:

join or form worker representation groups,
participate in labour-dialogue committees,
raise concerns without fear of retaliation,
engage in collective negotiations regarding working conditions.

AAU’s labour-rights framework aligns with:
✔ SDG 8 (Decent Work)
✔ SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
✔ SDG 16 (Strong Institutions)
✔ Jordanian Labour Law
✔ International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions

By promoting fair representation, transparent communication, and an equal voice for all workers, AAU strengthens institutional justice and builds a safe, inclusive, and equitable work environment.

Centers and Departments:

January
01

1. Human Resources and Institutional Development Unit

Leads labour-rights implementation, ensures freedom of association, manages consultation channels, and provides information to staff regarding collective bargaining pathways.

January
01

2. Sustainability and International Ranking Center (SIRC)

Monitors SDG 8 labour-rights indicators, validates representation data, and ensures transparent reporting through sustainability publications.

January
01

3. Teaching and Learning Center (TLC)

Supports rights-awareness by training staff on professional ethics, workplace justice, leadership, and participation in committees.

January
01

4. Computer Center

Develops digital communication systems that allow staff to communicate concerns, access representation channels, and participate in electronic voting or decision-making systems.

January
01

5. Arena Complex

Hosts large-scale staff meetings, general assemblies, training workshops، and university-wide listening sessions that strengthen collective representation.

Activities:

January
01

1. AAU Signs MoU with MARA University of Technology (UiTM), Malaysia

This partnership enhances staff capacity, knowledge exchange, and professional development.

Workshops and training under this agreement strengthen staff rights awareness, leadership skills, and participation in institutional decision-making.

January
01

2. AAU Business School Hosts the Chairman of the Association of Accountants and CEO of KPMG

The event highlighted ethical leadership, labour integrity, and professional governance reinforcing workplace rights, fair treatment, and staff empowerment.

January
01

3. AAU Signs MoU with JoPACC

This MoU introduces digital-financial education and governance training for staff, strengthening their institutional voice and enhancing participation in workplace dialogue.

January
01

4. AAU Registers Two International Patents in AI Applications for Adaptive Learning

These achievements highlight AAU’s investment in building staff capacity and improving academic working conditions empowering faculty and researchers and promoting fair recognition of contributions.

January
01

5. Digital Transformation Conference (ICDFB 2025)

Conference sessions included themes on workforce participation, ethical digital governance، and transparency reinforcing staff rights and collective representation in modern institutions.

Impact Evaluation & Development Plan

A . Performance Evaluation

1. Structured Assessment Tools

AAU uses surveys, ethical-leadership rubrics، reflective assessments، and course-embedded tools to assess knowledge of labour rights, representation mechanisms، and institutional justice.

2.Annual Assessment Cycles

Labour-rights awareness، staff participation in committees، and understanding of collective bargaining principles are assessed annually across academic and administrative staff.

3. Quantitative & Qualitative Indicators

Indicators include:

- number of staff participating in representation bodies
- grievance and representation outcomes
- satisfaction with workplace voice mechanisms
- gender- and nationality-disaggregated representation metrics
- open-ended reflections on inclusion and fairness4.Integration with Curriculum

Labour-rights topics are integrated into:

- HRM courses
- business ethics
- law & governance modules
- public policy
- leadership and management programs

1. Transparency and Public Reporting

Representation-related data is validated by SIRC and published in:

- AAU Sustainability Report
- Executive Sustainability Report
- AAU Sustainability Portal

B. Development Actions

Action 1: Staff Representation Enhancement Program
Expand staff councils and representation committees across all faculties.
Target: Full coverage by 2026.

Action 2: Labour Rights Awareness Campaign
Annual campaign explaining rights to association, collective bargaining, and employee representation.
Target: 100% staff awareness by 2027.

Action 3: Digital Staff Voice Platform
Create an online system enabling staff to raise issues, vote on decisions, and participate in discussions.
Target: Operational by 2026.

Action 4: Leadership Training for Department Heads
Mandatory training in fair decision-making, non-retaliation principles، and employee-rights protection.
Target: 2025–2027.

Action 5: Regional & International Benchmarking
Comparing AAU’s labour-rights model with top universities in MENA and Europe.
Target: Annual published report.

C. Benchmarking & Best Practice

AAU benchmarks its labour rights framework with:

- University of British Columbia
- University of Cambridge
- University of Gothenburg

Best Practices Adopted:

- strong staff consultation systems
- transparent communication channels
- equal representation regardless of gender or nationality
- non-retaliation safeguards
- institutionalized collective bargaining pathways

Localization to Jordan:
Through alignment with:

- Labour Rights and Non-Discrimination Policy
- Union and Labour Rights Recognition Procedure
- Jordanian Labour Law
- National Workforce Participation Strategy

Institutional Integration Summary

Labour Rights Recognition at AAU is fully embedded across HR operations، governance systems، staff councils، digital communication platforms، and capacity-building initiatives.
Through clear policies, inclusive representation structures، international partnerships، and transparent reporting، AAU ensures that all staff members and women، locals and internationals، permanent and outsourced, enjoy full rights to association, representation، and collective bargaining.