Education News
Jordanian teachers continue strike over salary increase
Feb 14, 2012, 18:16 GMT
Amman - Thousands of Jordanian teachers demonstrated in front of the prime ministry's office on Tuesday to demand a sharp salary increase.
The protest was the largest in series of demonstrations that started in Jordan a year ago, inspired by uprisings in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
The demonstration was the culmination of a week-long strike by tens of thousands of teachers, who forced the closure of classrooms across the country.
The teachers want their salaries to be raised by 100 per cent, but the government offered a 90-per-cent increase over two years.
The government says it is unable to meet the teachers' demand given the economic situation in the country.
An initiative launched by the lower house of parliament over the past few days failed to put an end to the strike. Teachers last year formed a union for the first time in the country's history.
