The Jordanian teachers’ strike entered its fourth week on Sunday after the teachers’ union rejected a government offer to raise incremental salaries based on experience and in the face of a court decision ruling the work stoppage illegal.
The court decision came as the teachers’ association rejected a government offer to provide individual monthly salary raises that fell short of their demands; a 50 per cent increase on all basic salaries as pledged by the government in 2014.
According to the latest offer by the government, teachers would receive a monthly salary raise between JD24-JD31 (Dh124 – Dh160) depending on rank and experience. For instance, an assistant teacher would receive a JD24 increase, while a teacher would receive a JD25 raise; an increase which has been described by the trade union as insufficient since it does not even cover a teacher's meal.
Under the decision, the raises would be applied under the promotion system currently in effect, where all teachers ranked as “assistant teacher”, numbering 36,755, would receive a JD24 pay raise on their monthly salary, and those ranked as “teacher”, constituting 31,013, would receive a JD25 raise.
As for 18,253 teachers ranked as “first teacher”, the raise would amount to JD28, and 335 teachers with an “expert” rank would receive a raise of JD31.
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