The second week of the Jordanian teachers' strike is nearing an end to the ongoing dispute with the government over salary increases, despite parliamentary and community mediation to resolve the crisis.
On Wednesday, a meeting between the government and the union lasted until late, and did not lead to any significant results, to resume talks later in the day.
Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, who joined the dialogue yesterday, called the meeting "important and positive."
Meanwhile, Education Minister Walid Maani confirmed that the meeting was friendly, and it was agreed to hold a new meeting today to continue the dialogue, according to the official news agency "Petra".
Government concerns
In a related context, economist Hossam Ayesh said that "the government takes into account fears that its submission to these demands open areas for subsequent claims that may not end from unions and other professions."
Ayesh stressed that this crisis is not an emergency, but has been the subject of talk for years through successive governments, and they agreed that the increase should be accompanied by conditions to improve performance.
"Cash expenditure on teacher increases should not be seen as a financial cost. In this regard, the social return on teacher spending should be taken into account as an investment in education and society at large."
In his view, exits could be found for this crisis, either through the allocation of part of the grants and assistance to this item, or to provide it through greater control of expenditure in the budget.
Teachers' demands
Jordanian teachers went on strike at the invitation of their union, one of the largest unions in the Kingdom, to demand the government to increase 50% of the basic salary, which was rejected by the latter.
The Council of Ministers justified its rejection of the unprecedented cost of the increase in public finances, which amounts to $ 150 million annually amid a budget deficit.
The government stipulated that to accept the dialogue with the teachers' union, the required allowance should be waived and the professional career of teachers, which the government linked to the grant of the allowance, should be waived.