Jordan: suspension of teachers’ strike after wage agreement

The public education union in Jordan announced Sunday the suspension of a month-long strike after obtaining a government wage-increase agreement.

Launched on September 8, one week after the start of the new school year, the strike paralyzed some 4,000 public schools, which enroll more than 1.4 million Jordanian students.

Public sector teachers demanded a 50 percent increase in their base salary, “the lowest among state officials,” according to their union.

“We managed to reach a historic agreement with the government and we call on our colleagues to suspend the strike after our demands have been met,” union leader Nasser told a press conference in Amman on Sunday at dawn. Nawasra.

According to him, the union which represents 100,000 teachers has obtained a revaluation ranging from 35 to 75% of the basic salaries of its members.

The government had so far refused to respond to their request, proposing at the end of September to grant them a monthly increase of 24 to 31 dinars (between 30 and 40 euros).

Omar al-Razzaz, the prime minister, said the increase was all the government could propose, “given the current economic circumstances.”

Last year, Jordan was hit by commodity price rises that sparked protests for several days and led to the government’s resignation.

Jordan, devoid of natural resources and highly dependent on foreign aid, is facing a difficult economic situation, marked by high rates of unemployment and poverty, according to official figures.

Welcoming hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the war also weighs heavily on public finances and Amman regularly calls on the international community for more substantial assistance.

More than 650,000 Syrian refugees are registered with the United Nations Agency (UNHCR) in Jordan.