His Majesty King Abdullah instructed the government on Wednesday to implement a series of measures to enhance the situation of workers and create new jobs.

King Abdullah launched a company to recruit and train workers in the agricultural sector. Officials said the company would begin operations next month and initially aims to enlist about 1,000 residents of the Jordan Valley. They will receive social security, health insurance and monthly salaries in accordance with the minimum wage system.

In keeping with the King's directives to focus on the development of the agricultural sector in 2009, the government announced Wednesday that it will pay agricultural workers' shares in the Social Security Corporation for the next five years. Likewise, it will pay employers' contributions in full for the first two years and cover half the cost for another three years.

The requested ordered by the King also include creating 20,000 jobs through providing incentives for employers.

"I am aware of the challenges labour faces… the situation in the world is difficult for everybody, but I always think of labourers and I am optimistic," King Abdullah said at a meeting with heads of trade unions on the occasion of Labour Day following the inauguration of the University of Jordan's (UJ) Institute of Agricultural Research, Training, Extension and Education in Deir Alla.

The King said several projects will be implemented this year to help workers overcome challenges they face and enhance their situation.

Stressing that government intervention is necessary in light of the current global financial crisis, Prime Minister Nader Dahabi said a socio-economic council, comprising representatives of employers, employees, civil society institutions and the public sector, will soon be launched to advise the government on the effective steps it can take to enhance the situation of the country's labourers.

The premier said the government has already taken steps to create jobs for Jordanians by offering incentives to employers who hire Jordanian labourers instead of guest workers.

He said JD500,000 will be allocated for the General Federation of Trade Unions in support of the national labour force, adding that the government will continue to consult with concerned parties on labour legislation to ensure that government measures are consistent with the requirements and challenges.

Also Wednesday, King Abdullah met with several farmers benefiting from the new UJ Institute of Agricultural Research, which seeks to develop the skills of workers in the agricultural sector and attract foreign experts to conduct training at the facility.

The institute's dean, Omar Kafaween, said the facility is currently being used by UJ students specialising in agriculture for practical study, adding that students from other universities will soon start benefiting from its services.

Kafaween added that the institute also seeks to introduce state-of-the-art technology to farmers of the area.