Teachers’ association cancels strike after gov’t meets demands

AMMAN — The Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) announced on Monday it was suspending its strike scheduled for today after reaching an agreement with the government, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The decision comes after the Cabinet on Monday decided to exclude teachers from the year-end civil service performance review. 

Education Minister Bassam Talhouni said that the decision to exclude teachers from the normal performance review was made after an agreement was reached between the government and the JTA on Sunday. 

JTA President Basel Freihat said that an agreement was also reached on technical allowances in the practicing educational professions by-law. The agreed-to allowances were 35 per cent for the first level, and 50 and 100 per cent for the second and third levels, respectively. 

Freihat added that the JTA and the government had agreed for the Education Ministry to withdraw a communiqué related to training and to issue a communiqué to all hospitals not to make judicial reports without the signatures of the emergency doctor, specialised doctor and on-duty administrative employee.

JTA demands also included following up with the Social Security Corporation on the possibility of listing educational jobs under hazardous professions, and for administrative governors to coordinate with JTA branches in governorates in cases of attacks or complaints against teachers, according to Freihat.