Labor law in Syria

Labour Law No. 17/2010 mainly covers private-sector workers, including employees of Arab and foreign companies, cooperative and mixed-sector enterprises, NGOs and private associations. Agricultural work follows Agricultural Relations Law No. 56/2004, while public employees follow Civil Servants Basic Law No. 50/2004. Employer family members, domestic workers, casual workers and part-time work of up to two hours per day fall outside the main framework. Reform discussions continued in 2025 and 2026, but no verified replacement law had been enacted. The 2014 amendment is recorded in NATLEX without a verified Official Gazette publication, so the applicable text and local practice should be checked with the responsible authority. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour sets the national framework. Governorate Labour and Social Affairs Directorates handle local employment and labor matters. The General Organization for Social Insurance, known as GOSI, administers social insurance. The General Federation of Trade Unions, or GFTU, represents workers in the collective system. Primary civil courts in the relevant governorate hear individual labor disputes, with appeals handled by Courts of Appeal. Chambers of Industry, Commerce and Tourism can also participate in local mediation or inspection processes. Because administration and enforcement remain fragmented across areas controlled by different de facto authorities, the competent local Directorate and current local procedure need verification. Worker rights form an inalienable minimum. A contract, settlement or internal rule cannot lawfully reduce that minimum, while more favorable contractual terms, collective agreements, internal regulations and established customs can remain effective. Worker claims and complaints are fee-exempt, and employment entitlements receive priority as debts. Equal opportunity and non-discrimination protections cover race, colour, gender, marital status, belief, political opinion, union membership, nationality, social descent and clothing or dress within personal freedom. Public employment-agency registration is free. An employer generally reports the worker's certificate, start date, wage and position to the competent Directorate within 15 days. Worker and employer information is also reported to the Directorate within 15 days, with recurring updates in January and July. A non-Syrian worker generally needs a work permit issued by the Minister or an authorized representative. Reciprocity, fees, guarantees, quotas and prohibited occupations depend on ministerial decisions. Arab Palestinians covered by Law No. 260/1956 are treated as Syrian Arab nationals for this purpose. An employment contract should be written in Arabic in three copies. A non-Arab worker should also receive a copy in another language. The contract states the parties' names, nationality and addresses, the workplace, type and duration of work, wage and payment method, benefits, working hours and additional entitlements. The employer files the social-insurance copy within three months. If the contract was not written, the parties may use all available forms of proof. Probation may last no more than three months, may occur only once with the same employer and ends without notice or compensation. Contracts may be fixed-term, indefinite-term or for a specific job. A fixed-term contract generally becomes indefinite after more than five aggregate years or continued work after expiry; NGO contracts under Legislative Decree No. 68/2010 remain fixed-term despite renewal. The wage follows the contract, collective agreement or internal regulation. If none sets the amount, the applicable occupational minimum applies, and output or commission pay cannot fall below that minimum. The current general minimum for private, cooperative and mixed-sector employment is 12,560 new Syrian pounds per month from 1 May 2026, outside the public-service framework of Law No. 50/2004. Monthly wages are due by the sixth day of the following month. A termination settlement is due within seven working days, while a worker who leaves on their own initiative can claim settlement payment within 15 working days after making the claim. Loan deductions may not exceed 20 percent. Attachment limits are 50 percent for alimony, 30 percent for dowry and 10 percent for other debt, with an aggregate ceiling of 50 percent. Equal pay applies to work of equal value. Social insurance follows Social Insurance Law No. 92/1959. Employer registration is statutory, and 2026 Ministry and GOSI notices state that all workers, including NGO workers, should be registered. An ILO profile records an enterprise threshold of five or more workers for a branch-level registration process, but that threshold should be verified with the relevant GOSI branch. From 1 June 2026, the contributory wage range recorded by GOSI is 12,560 to 211,400 new Syrian pounds. Coverage includes retirement, disability, work injury and related benefits. A reform committee was formed in 2025, but no enacted replacement system has been verified. Registration gaps and incomplete private-enterprise records create enforcement risks. Effective working time is generally limited to eight hours per day or 40 hours per week, excluding breaks. Workplace presence may reach ten hours per day. Workers receive at least one hour of breaks and may not work more than five consecutive hours without a break. Weekly rest lasts at least 24 consecutive hours after no more than six consecutive working days. Listed overtime exceptions allow up to ten effective hours per day and two overtime hours, with notice to the Directorate within 24 hours. Overtime is paid at the regular hourly wage plus 25 percent during the day and 50 percent at night; work on an official holiday is paid at double rate. Mines and quarries have a seven-hour effective daily limit and breaks of at least 1.5 hours. Annual paid leave is 24 working days after one to five years of service, 21 days after five to ten years and 30 days after at least ten years or after age 50. Arduous, hazardous or remote work adds seven days. At least six consecutive working days of annual leave are taken each year. Official holidays provide at least 13 days annually. In the first contract year, sick leave pays 70 percent of wages for the first 90 days and 80 percent for the next 90 days. Emergency leave reaches six days per year, with no more than two days at a time. Employer-approved unpaid leave may reach 30 consecutive days per year. After at least five years of service, pilgrimage leave is available once: 30 days for Muslims and seven days for Christians. Marriage leave is seven days once after at least six months of service, and death leave is five days. Juvenile employment is limited to someone who has completed elementary school or reached age 15, whichever is older. Juveniles may work no more than six hours per day, with at least one hour of breaks, and may not work overtime, at night or on the weekly rest day. Their annual leave is 30 days. Female workers receive equal treatment and equal pay. Ministerial rules limit night or harmful work. After at least six months of service, paid maternity leave is 120 days for the first childbirth, 90 days for the second and 75 days for the third; an optional unpaid month may follow. Dismissal during maternity leave is prohibited. For 24 months, nursing workers receive two paid daily breaks of at least 30 minutes. Firms with more than 15 workers can grant unpaid childcare leave of up to one year, no more than three times. Day-care duties arise at thresholds of 100 female workers and 25 children under five, or an alternative care-space or nurse arrangement at 20 married female workers and ten children under five. Employers with at least 50 workers have a two-percent disability employment quota and workplace-adjustment duties. The notice period is doubled for a worker with a disability. Employers must take occupational-safety precautions, provide training and supply protective equipment without charging workers. A workplace with at least 15 workers should have an occupational-safety committee; smaller workplaces require technician support. Inspectors may enter without advance notice, review records and documents and act where an immediate danger exists. Collective bargaining can occur at firm, sector, occupation, industry, governorate or national level. Firms with at least 50 workers have a union committee and an employer side; smaller firms use five union-appointed workers. A party receiving a written bargaining notice should respond within seven days. A collective agreement is written in Arabic, approved by the union, filed within 15 days and approved within 30 days. The Ministry registers and publishes it. An agreement can bind all workers in a firm when union members represent at least half of the workforce and the terms are more favorable. The GFTU remains active during the transition, but its effective independence and coverage are not conclusively verified. An individual dispute normally goes first to the competent primary civil court, whose panel includes a judge, a worker representative and an employer representative. A worker or union seeking mediation over dismissal should apply within ten days after notice. The Directorate can mediate for up to one month; an unsuccessful mediation proceeds to court. During litigation, the court may order an interim payment of 50 percent of monthly wages, limited to the applicable minimum wage and one year. Unfair dismissal compensation is two months of wages per service year, calculated proportionally, with a ceiling of 150 times the minimum wage. Reinstatement with back wages may be available, and the employer bears the proof burden for lawful immediate dismissal. Indefinite-term contracts generally require two months' notice. A collective dispute proceeds through bargaining, Directorate mediation for up to 30 days and then arbitration. Arbitration aims for a decision within three months, with an equal extension possible. Cassation can be filed within 30 days. The award becomes binding after Directorate registration and can be enforced through the competent bureau. An enterprise may close only for economic necessity through a committee proposal within 30 days and a Minister's decision within 15 days. If no decision arrives after 45 days, the employer may close after written worker notification. Selection for redundancies involves consultation with the Directorate and union and may consider seniority, family responsibility, age, capacity and skills. A partial shutdown may not reduce wages below the occupational minimum. A worker may request termination in that situation and receive one month's compensation per service year, capped at six months.