Syria

Syria - Compensation & Benefit Legislation

CAPITAL

Damascus

CLIMATE

Mostly desert climate; hot, dry, sunny summers from June to August and mild, rainy winters (December to February) along the coast; cold weather with snow or sleet periodically hitting Damascus.

LANGUAGES

Arabic (official); Kurdish, Armenian, Aramaic, Circassian widely understood; French, and English is somewhat understood.

LEGAL SYSTEM

Syria’s legal system is based on Islamic law and civil law system with special religious courts. Syria has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction.

CURRENCY

Syrian Pound (1 USD = 50.55900 SYP as of May 15, 2002).

SYRIA - COST-OF-LIVING

ERI's Relocation Assessor is a recommended source for cost-of-living data.

SYRIA - EMBASSY/CONSULATES

U.S. Embassy at Damascus

Abou Roumaneh

2 Al-Mansur Street

P.O. Box 29

Damascus, Syria

Telephone: [963] (11) 333-1342

Fax: [963] (11) 224-7938

http://usembassy.state.gov/damascus/

Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic at Washington D.C.

2215 Wyoming Avenue N.W.

Washington D.C. 20008

Telephone: (202) 232-6313

Fax: (202) 234-9548

SYRIA - HOLIDAYS

New Year’s Day (January 1)
Eid Al Adha
Unity Day (February 22)
Revolution Day (March 8)
Islamic New Year
Easter
Independence Day (April 17)
Labor Day (May 1)
Martyrs’ Day (May 6)
Prophet’s Birthday
Eid Al Fitr
Christmas (December 25)

SYRIA - MINIMUM AGE

The Labor Law provides for the protection of children from exploitation in the workplace; however, the Government tolerates child labor in some instances. Independent information and audits regarding government enforcement are not available. In December 2000, the Parliament approved legislation that raises the private sector minimum age for employment from 12 to 15 years for most types of nonagricultural labor, and from 16 to 18 years for heavy work. In all cases, parental permission is required for children under the age of 16. The law prohibits children from working at night. However, the law applies only to children who work for a salary. Those who work in family businesses and are not technically paid a salary--a common phenomenon--do not fall under the law. Working hours for youths of legal age to work do not differ from those established for adults. Children under the age of 16 are prohibited by law from working in mines, at petroleum sites, or in other dangerous fields. Children are not allowed to lift, carry, or drag heavy objects. The exploitation of children for begging purposes also is prohibited. The Government claims that the expansion of the private sector has led to more young children working.

(Section 6.d. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Syria – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

SYRIA - MINIMUM REMUNERATION

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs is responsible for enforcing minimum wage levels in the public and private sectors. In August 2000, the Government increased public sector minimum wages by 25 percent to 2,664 Syrian pounds per month (approximately $57), plus other compensation (for example, meals, uniforms, and transportation). In October 2000, the Government increased private sector minimum wages by 25 percent to 2,425 Syrian pounds per month ($53) in urban areas and 2,237 Syrian pounds ($49) in rural areas.

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Syria – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)

SYRIA - REMUNERATION

ERI's Geographic and Salary Assessors are recommended sources for international remuneration covering 189 countries.

SYRIA - REPORT OF HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES (2001, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE)

Section 6 Worker Rights

a. The Right of Association

Although the Constitution provides for this right, workers are not free to establish unions independent of the Government. All unions must belong to the General Federation of Trade Unions (GFTU), which is dominated by the Ba'th Party and is in fact a part of the State's bureaucratic structure. The GFTU is an information channel between political decisionmakers and workers. The GFTU transmits instructions downward to the unions and workers but also conveys information to decision makers about worker conditions and needs. The GFTU provides the Government with opinions regarding legislation, organizes workers, and formulates rules for various member unions. The GFTU president is a senior member of the Ba'th Party. He and his deputy may attend cabinet meetings on economic affairs. The GFTU controls nearly all aspects of union activity.

The law does not prohibit strikes, except in the agricultural sector; however, previous government crackdowns on strikers deter workers from striking. In 1980 the security forces arrested many union and professional association officials who planned a national strike. Some of them are believed to remain in detention, either without trial or after being tried by the State Security Court (see Sections 1.d. and 2.b.). There were no strikes during the year.

The GFTU is affiliated with the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions.

In 1992 Syria's eligibility for tariff preferences under the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences was suspended because the Government failed to afford internationally recognized worker rights to workers.

b. The Right to Organize and Bargain Collectively

The right to organize and bargain collectively does not exist in any meaningful sense. Government representatives are part of the bargaining process in the public sector. In the public sector, unions do not normally bargain collectively on wage issues, but there is some evidence that union representatives participate with representatives of employers and the supervising ministry in establishing minimum wages, hours, and conditions of employment. Workers serve on the boards of directors of public enterprises, and union representatives always are included on the boards.

The law provides for collective bargaining in the private sector, but any such agreement between labor and management must be ratified by the Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, who has effective veto power. The Committee of Experts of the International Labor Organization (ILO) has long noted the Government's refusal to abolish the Minister's power over collective contracts.

Unions have the right to litigate disputes over work contracts and other workers' interests with employers and may ask for binding arbitration. In practice labor and management representatives settle most disputes without resort to legal remedies or arbitration. Management has the right to request arbitration, but this right seldom is exercised. Arbitration usually occurs when a worker initiates a dispute over wages or severance pay.

Since the unions are part of the Government's bureaucratic structure, they are protected by law from antiunion discrimination. There were no reports of antiunion discrimination.

There are no unions in the seven free trade zones. Firms in the zones are exempt from the laws and regulations governing hiring and firing, although they must observe some provisions on health, safety, hours, and sick and annual leave.

c. Prohibition of Forced or Compulsory Labor

There is no law prohibiting forced or compulsory labor, including that performed by children. There were no reports of forced or bonded labor by children, or forced labor involving foreign workers or domestic servants. Forced labor has been imposed as a punishment for some convicted prisoners.

d. Status of Child Labor Practices and Minimum Age for Employment

The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs monitors employment conditions for persons under the age of 18, but it does not have enough inspectors to ensure compliance with the laws. The Ministry has the authority to specify the industries in which children 15 and 16 years of age may work.

The Labor Inspection Department performs unannounced spot checks of employers on a daily basis to enforce the law; however, the scope of these checks is unknown. The majority of children under age 16 who are working do so for their parents in the agricultural sector without remuneration. The ILO reported in 1998 that 10.5 percent of children under the age of 18 participate in the labor force, which amounts to 4.7 percent of the total work force. The Government has not yet ratified ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labor.

The law does not prohibit forced or bonded labor by children (see Section 6.c.); however, such practices are not known to occur.

e. Acceptable Conditions of Work

The Minister of Labor and Social Affairs is responsible for enforcing minimum wage levels in the public and private sectors. In August 2000, the Government increased public sector minimum wages by 25 percent to $57 (2,664 Syrian pounds) per month, plus other compensation (for example, meals, uniforms, and transportation). In October 2000, the Government increased private sector minimum wages by 25 percent to $53 (2,425 Syrian pounds) per month in urban areas and $49 (2,237 Syrian pounds) in rural areas. These wages do not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. As a result, many workers in both the public and private sectors take additional jobs or are supported by their extended families.

The statutory workweek for administrative staff is 6 days of 6 hours each, and laborers work 6 days a week of 8 hours each. In some cases a 9-hour workday is permitted. The laws mandate one 24-hour rest day per week. Rules and regulations severely limit the ability of an employer to dismiss employees without cause. Even if a person is absent from work without notice for a long period, the employer must follow a lengthy procedure of trying to find the person and notify him, including through newspaper notices, before he is able to take any action against the employee. Dismissed employees have the right of appeal to a committee of representatives from the union, management, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and the appropriate municipality. Such committees usually find in favor of the employee. Dismissed employees are entitled to 80 percent of salary benefits while the dispute is under consideration. No additional back wages are awarded should the employer be found at fault, nor are wage penalties imposed in cases in which the employer is not found at fault. The law does not protect temporary workers who are not subject to regulations on minimum wages. Small private firms and businesses employ such workers to avoid the costs associated with hiring permanent employees.

The law mandates safety in all sectors, and managers are expected to implement them fully. In practice there is little enforcement without worker complaints, which occur infrequently despite government efforts to post notices regarding safety rights and regulations. Large companies, such as oil field contractors, employ safety engineers.

The ILO noted in 1998 that a provision in the Labor Code allowing employers to keep workers at the workplace for as many as 11 hours a day might lead to abuse. However, there have been no reports of such abuses. Officials from the Ministries of Health and Labor are designated to inspect work sites for compliance with health and safety standards; however, such inspections appear to be sporadic, apart from those conducted in hotels and other facilities that cater to foreigners. The enforcement of labor laws in rural areas also is more lax than it is in urban areas, where inspectors are concentrated. Workers may lodge complaints about health and safety conditions, with special committees established to adjudicate such cases. Workers have the right to remove themselves from hazardous conditions without risking loss of employment.

The law provides protection for foreign workers who reside legally in the country; however, it does not provide protection for the thousands of foreigners working in the country illegally.

f. Trafficking in Persons

There are no laws that specifically prohibit trafficking in persons; however, there were no reports that persons were trafficked to, from, or within the country. Standard labor laws could be applied in the event of allegations of trafficking.

SYRIA - SOCIAL SECURITY

Social Security Office of International Programs:

http://www.ssa.gov/SSA_Home.html

SYRIA - STANDARD WORKWEEK

(Section 6.e. Acceptable Conditions of Work, Syria – Report of Human Rights Practices, 2001, U.S. Department of State.)