Strike at Jordan’s largest power company

• 12 years ago (2012-04-05)
• Junior Isles

Middle East 311

---

Jordan's largest electricity generation company, Central Electricity Generating Company (CEGCO), is facing an open-ended strike by workers demanding higher pay. The company has so far managed to avoid cuts to its 1700 MW power output.

CEGCO’s management, whose plants produce nearly half of Jordan's electricity, has said it is in discussions with the union that represents the strikers, a majority of its 1200 employees, in an attempt resolve the situation.

Ali al-Hadid, head of the electricity workers' union, has said the protest will continue until CEGCO meets workers' demands for “substantial pay hikes and improved working conditions”.

Abdul Fatah Nsour, CEGC0 chief executive, said: "We are in discussions, but we have reservations about meeting all the demands," commenting that the pay demands would cost the company almost half its 2011 profits, over 4.9 million dinars ($6.9 million).

Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power International owns a controlling stake in CEGCO, who’s seven power plants supply around 51 per cent of Jordan's day-to-day power consumption.

The Jordanian government and a government pension fund also own a 50 per cent stake in the company, which underwent privatisation several years ago in an attempt to encourage new investors to fund essential power generation.