AMMAN, Jordan, October 31 – With occupational safety and health (OSH) now established as a fundamental principle and right at work, the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Better Work Jordan Programme (BWJ), in collaboration with adidas and the Fair Labor Association (FLA), hosted a series of technical seminars on the importance of OSH compliance. The seminar, titled “Effective Internal Monitoring for Labour and Occupational Safety and Health Compliance” was held on October 27-28 for Jordan’s Ministry of Labour (MoL) labour inspectors and on October 30-31 for compliance officers from garment factories. These sessions are part of a broader strategy to strengthen Jordan’s commitment to fair, safe, and ethical working conditions in the garment industry.

Strengthening standards across the industry

Jointly organized by adidas, BWJ, and FLA, the seminar brought together MoL officials and key stakeholders to address essential labour rights and workplace safety issues. “We need to strengthen collaborative efforts among all stakeholders in Jordan’s garment industry,” said Tareq Abu Qaoud, Better Work Jordan Programme Manager.

The seminar focused on fostering industry-wide approaches to responsible recruitment, fair labour practices, and comprehensive OSH standards. “This seminar series aims to explore ways to leverage the expertise of these parties,” Abu Qaoud noted. “Our goal is to enhance capacity, improve working conditions, and uphold human rights within the garment industry, which takes precedence over the products the factories export.” In June 2022, ILO elevated OSH as one of the fundamental rights at work, and globally, Better Work is focusing on bringing staff, enrolled factories, and labour inspectors along on a journey to improve safety and health standards and focus on prevention.

Nisreen Khaddam, a participating MoL inspector, said she “gained valuable experience in labour inspection, focusing on risk assessment by evaluating workplace conditions, identifying hazards, and ensuring compliance with labour standards to protect employees’ rights.” Khaddam added: “This role sharpened my risk assessment skills and strengthened my understanding of legal requirements and practical safety measures.”

While OSH is a key focus, the training also covers ensuring other fundamental rights at work. Participants have acquired tools for effective monitoring and auditing, developing their expertise in global legal frameworks, responsible recruitment, eliminating forced labour, fair compensation, and the right to freedom of association. The seminar also covers robust internal monitoring systems, FLA and adidas codes of conduct and auditor skill enhancement. BWJ, FLA, and adidas plan to continue their collaborative efforts in building capabilities within Jordanian factories, following the enthusiastic participation of factory representatives in the October seminar. Together, they have proposed implementing an advanced OSH risk management practice, to be piloted in a real factory environment, aiming to set new standards in worker safety and operational excellence. 

Proactive approaches to compliance and responsible recruitment

The seminars, led by Hasan Dilmenli, adidas Senior Social and Environmental Affairs Manager, and Alpay Celikel, FLA Senior Safeguards Manager, highlight a shift toward proactive, risk-based due diligence that moves beyond traditional compliance models to embrace a comprehensive risk management approach. Enes Ün, adidas Director of Social and Environmental Affairs for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, noted, “Compliance is ever-changing and requires continuous learning and improvement. We learn from each other every day, and collaboration is essential to sustaining compliance.”

This approach reflects what adidas and FLA describe as their commitment to standards that exceed regulations. “Our standards go beyond local laws; in our factories, compliance is set higher,” Ün explained. By embedding rigorous standards within Jordanian factories, the seminar promotes sustainable practices that reach beyond immediate production goals.

Acting as compliance ambassadors, auditors and inspectors guide suppliers in self-governance and risk management. “We’re not just selling our products; we’re selling our reputation,” Ün emphasized, underscoring the importance of compliance on a human level. “Overlooking critical issues has a direct impact on people’s lives.”

Responsible recruitment practices, particularly regarding migrant workers, are another core focus. Jordan’s garment industry is comprised of over 75 per cent migrant workers, often young women who are in an unfamiliar country and workplace culture. This presents distinct challenges to Jordan’s garment sector and an added focus on addressing worker concerns. In alignment with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the seminar addressed risk assessment processes to identify and mitigate recruitment and employment vulnerabilities. “We want labour inspectors and suppliers to be aware of the unique vulnerabilities of migrant workers and ready to act when issues are found,” said Alpay Celikel, FLA’s Senior Safeguard Manager and one of the seminar’s trainers. The goal of this approach is to get ahead – not only of non-compliances, but of issues in the workplace culture that can have a negative effect on workers’ well-being.

“It was encouraging to see all participants eager to learn, asking insightful and detailed questions throughout the training sessions,” said Hasan Dilmenli, Senior Manager SEA at adidas. “Many participants expressed a desire to dive deeper into specific areas. This training offered a foundational understanding, which is critical for their roles. We hope to build on this by organizing more in-depth sessions in the future. Ideally, these sessions would include on-site experiences to help bridge theoretical knowledge with practical application.”

Meeting evolving compliance expectations

With a heightened emphasis on due diligence in global supply chains, ILO experts will continue to provide guidance on how Jordan’s garment industry can meet these evolving standards. Companies are increasingly required to rigorously monitor compliance throughout their supply chains — from raw material suppliers to distribution centres — raising the bar for export-focused industries.

Better Work Jordan, adidas and FLA have committed to supporting Jordan’s garment sector in establishing a transparent, resilient compliance framework centered on worker rights and safety. “We are compliance ambassadors — guiding and helping people manage risks effectively in their facilities,” Ün stated, underscoring the collaborative role of compliance officers in sustaining Jordan’s reputation as an ethical production hub. These partnerships are crucial for Jordan’s garment industry to continue to grow in a way that is sustainable and responsible for businesses and workers.  

The seminar series were funded under the collaboration programme between the ILO and the European Union through the “Decent Work through Employment Services and Export in Jordan” project (Better Work Jordan component).