Cabinet makes changes to teachers syndicate law

AMMAN — The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft law amending the Jordan Teachers Association's (JTA) Law and the syndicate’s administrative and financial by-laws, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

During its Wednesday session, the Cabinet also discussed increasing the end-of-service benefits for teachers from the Ministry of Education-affiliated Social Security Fund from 13 times the salary to 15, and decided to refer the issue to the economic development committee for recommendations.

The ministers also discussed penalties on teachers serving in schools where none of their students passed the General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi), and decided to refer the issue to the ministerial service committee for recommendations.

The decisions to meet the demands of the union came after Prime Minister Hani Mulki's meeting with the president and members of the JTA on Monday.

The association’s demands included listing the JTA’s amended law on the House’s agenda in its extraordinary session, which is not decided yet but expected after Ramadan, endorsing the association’s financial and administrative by-laws, and increasing the end-of-service gratuity.

Teacher leaders had threatened an open strike at the beginning of the next scholastic year if their demands were ignored.