'No mention of pay raise in 2014 letter from former education minister'

AMMAN — Former MP Hail Daja has published a copy of a letter from former education minister Mohammad Thneibat, dated August 28, 2014. The letter is a reply to the Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) and does not mention the 50-per cent raise.   

Daja said that the parliamentary mediation committee had asked Thneibat back then to issue a formal letter, in which he honour pledges agreed upon by the ministry and the syndicate, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Sunday.

The former deputy said that the letter issued by Thneibat did not include any commitment from the government to the 50-per cent raise due to the difficult conditions of the General Budget. 

The letter only included understandings on protecting teachers, health insurance, the social security fund, the civil service by-law and the private educational institution by-law, according to the former lawmaker. 

On Thursday, teachers from around the Kingdom took part in a sit-in in Amman during school hours demanding a raise that they said had been agreed upon with the government five years  ago but never materialised, after which they announced a strike, dubbed “illegal” by the government at the time.

The JTA on Saturday said it was adamant on starting an open strike on Sunday after talks with the government regarding their demand of a 50-per cent raise bore no results.

In a press conference following the Saturday talks, JTA Vice President Naser Nawasrah told the press that teachers “will not enter the classrooms until those responsible for transgressions against teachers during Thursday’s protest are held accountable”, to which the government responded with a request for the syndicate to provide a list of all alleged violations during Thursday’s sit-in, pledging to investigate any cases of “documented” transgressions “seriously and transparently”.

For its part, the Public Security Department said in its own press conference that its personnel “practised restraint” during Thursday’s protests, but they “were driven to the use of force by some protesters who were shoving their way to reach the Fourth Circle”.

The government reiterated on Saturday its commitment to dialogue as a way to improve the living conditions of teachers and public-sector employees as well as enhancing the educational process by boosting performance.