Minister of Labor Bassem Al-salem of Jordan

Al-Salem met earlier Wednesday with Jordan's ruler, King Abdullah II, and Prime Minister Marouf al-Bakhit to discuss the report, according to his assistant, Mary Kawar.

Al-Salem said the voluntary monitoring program should help alleviate remaining labor problems in three Qualified Industrial Zones where 98 apparel factories employ 54,000 workers.

Labour Minister Bassem al-Salem met with leaders of the country's workers unions to urge them not to join the strike and to explain the motives behind increasing fuel prices, according to the official Petra news agency.