Discontent grows at Jandar power plant over employee dismissals

A number of employees at the Jandar Thermal Power Plant in rural Homs say they have been dismissed from their jobs without being informed of any clear legal or administrative reasons.

In similar testimonies, several employees said they were surprised by the termination of their employment without receiving any official explanation. They added that they have not yet received their accumulated financial dues, including cooperative fund benefits and end-of-service compensation, claiming that the new management has refused to pay them.

The employees stated that most of those affected are from Jandar and the Homs countryside. They argued that the measures reflected what they described as exclusionary and discriminatory treatment. As of the time this report was prepared, neither the plant's management nor the Ministry of Energy had issued an official response to these allegations.

According to the employees, the complaints extend beyond the dismissal decisions to include hiring practices. They allege that some applicants with lower scores in recruitment competitions were hired, while others with higher scores were rejected, arguing that merit and equal opportunity were not applied fairly.

The affected employees are calling for an independent and transparent investigation into the dismissal decisions and the payment of financial entitlements. They also demand a review of recruitment procedures to ensure equality, equal opportunities, and fair treatment for all those affected in accordance with the law.

Located south of the city of Homs, the Jandar Thermal Power Plant is one of Syria's largest electricity generation facilities. It entered service in 1995 and plays a key role in supporting the national power grid.

Last May, the Ministry of Energy announced that the plant had regained full operational readiness for the first time in nearly a decade following maintenance and rehabilitation work carried out by national engineering teams. As a result, its generating capacity increased to approximately 825 megawatts, up from about 200 megawatts in recent years.

Neither the Ministry of Energy nor the management of the Jandar Power Plant has so far announced the current number of employees at the facility or issued any official statements regarding the reported complaints about dismissals, recruitment procedures, or the payment of financial entitlements.

ANHA