(Ottawa – October 25, 2021) Last week CAUT sent a letter of protest to the Prime Minister of Jordan and the Minister of Education imploring the government to cease the harassment and arrest of members of the Jordanian Teachers’ Association (JTA) and to lift the suspension of JTA union activities. 

Last December the Government of Jordan dissolved the JTA, and dismissed a massive number of teachers, including JTA leaders. Earlier this month, the Jordanian security forces again arrested and detained the leading members of the JTA in connection with World Teachers Day celebrations. Riot police were deployed to stop the peaceful demonstrations organised to denounce the crackdown on trade union rights.

We encourage your association to join CAUT in sending a letter of protest to the Ministers of Education and Labour in Jordan with the following demands:

• unconditionally reinstate the dismissed leaders of the Jordanian Teachers’ Association and the 65 teachers who were forced to retire early;
• lift the suspension of JTA union activities;
• guarantee the fundamental rights and democratic freedoms of educators and all workers, including freedom of expression and of association and the right to assembly, which are essential to the functioning of independent trade unions and democracy; and
• further reform national laws to bring them in line with international standards.