‘Teachers’ syndicate, gov’t nearing agreement to end strike’

AMMAN — Educators and the government are close to reaching an agreement over the demands of the Jordan Teachers Associations (JTA) that would end its ongoing open-ended strike, parliamentary sources said on Wednesday.

The Lower House’s Education Committee is scheduled to host another meeting on Thursday for the government and the JTA, which encompasses 140,000 members, to formalise the agreement before the teachers suspend their strike, the sources added.

The teachers began their strike on Sunday to pressure the government into meeting their demands.

Since then, the Lower House has been working to broker an agreement between the two sides in an attempt to avoid any disruption to the educational process, as the new academic year will start Sunday.

Over the past three days, the Education Committee managed to bridge the gap between the two sides through three meetings, in which the government met some of the JTA’s demands and promised to study others.

On Wednesday, the government announced that it will raise by JD50 the salaries of teachers who have been working in a region other than their place of residence over the past five years. 

Teachers working in another governorate within the same region will receive a JD40 raise, while those who move districts will get JD30. 

Almost 100 teachers working in the southern region of the Kingdom will return to work in schools near their residences in the north.

The government also endorsed the regulations for a teachers solidarity fund, a step MPs said will add to educators’ financial benefits and improve their living standards.

Speaking at the meeting held by the committee, Minister of Public Sector Development Khleef Al Khawaldeh said the government cannot raise the salaries of any segment of civil servants at this stage as the state budget cannot carry the burden at present.

The Jordan News Agency, Petra, quoted Education Minister Mohammad Thneibat as saying at a meeting of the ministry’s planning committee that the JTA’s demands for additional allowances for teachers will cost the Treasury between JD230 million and JD250 million.

Speaking at the House’s education panel meeting, Deputy Mohammad Saudi, who heads the Lower House’s Finance Committee, proposed that the raise requested by teachers be awarded gradually over the next few years.

JTA President Hussam Masheh said this measure would be fair as long as the issue is not ignored by the authorities. 

“We also feel with our country, and we don’t mind rescheduling these demands as long as they are not ignored by decision makers,” Masheh added, thanking MPs for working to bring about “fair and acceptable solutions to the issue”.

The syndicate’s demands included amending the civil service by-law in terms of sick leave, promotions and leave without pay.

Other demands include investigating the Education Ministry pension fund’s assets and referring the case to the judiciary, implementing a “better medical insurance system”, increasing teachers’ salaries, awarding them more financial benefits and ensuring that they are given better contracts at private schools.

Thneibat said on Wednesday that the ministry has already referred the pension fund’s files to the Audit Bureau and the Anti-Corruption Commission, and it will discuss amending the fund’s by-law later this month.

The ministry has also finalised the draft private schools by-law, after meeting with the Association of Owners of Private School, and plans to refer it to the Cabinet and the Legislation and Opinion Bureau, Petra reported.