ILO pledges to continue protecting private education workers' rights as Jordan raises minimum wage

Amman, Jordan (ILO News)- The International Labour Organization (ILO), in cooperation with the "Stand Up with the Teachers" campaign, held an event to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with twenty private schools from five governorates in Jordan as part of the second phase of the "Tamayyoz" programme. This event coincided with the announcement by the Tripartite Committee for Labour Affairs, chaired by the Minister of Labour, to raise the minimum wage in the private sector from 260 to 290 Jordanian dinars, effective January 1, 2025.

The event highlighted the importance of adhering to the provisions of the Unified Contract for workers in private schools and kindergartens, which emerged from the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the Private School Owners Syndicate and the General Union of Workers in Private Education in 2023 and improving the work environment in the private education sector in order to ensure the rights of workers in line with decent work principles. The event was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour, the Private Schools Workers Union, the "Stand Up with the Teachers" campaign coordinators from the targeted governorates and owners of the private schools signing the MoUs.

Reem Aslan, the Decent Work for Women Programme manager, delivering the welcoming remarks at the beginning of the event.

In her opening remarks, Reem Aslan, Manager of the Decent Work for Women Programme at the ILO, emphasized the importance of these partnerships in promoting teachers' rights, stating: "The signing of these MoUs today under the second phase of the Tamayyoz program is an important step toward ensuring the rights of teachers in the private education sector. The automation of the unified contract and schools' commitment to its standards directly contribute to promoting gender equality and ensuring social protection, which are key objectives of the decent work programs implemented by the ILO."

Dr. Sharifa Al-Lassasmeh, Director of the Educational Services Directorate at the Ministry of Education, reaffirmed the Ministry's commitment to supporting efforts to safeguard the rights of female workers in private education. She said: "The Ministry supports all efforts aimed at enhancing the rights of female teachers in private schools. The automation of the unified contract was a fundamental step toward protecting these rights and ensuring fairness and transparency for all parties." She added that the Ministry will continue coordinating with partners to ensure schools comply with the unified contract and to promote a teaching environment that respects the rights of all workers in the sector.

Dr. Ahmad Al-Shawabkeh, Deputy Head of the Private Education Workers Union, underscored the importance of implementing the unified contract across all governorates. He said: "The union closely monitors schools' compliance with the unified contract and supports female workers to ensure they receive a decent work environment. The Tripartite Committee's decision to raise the minimum wage will reinforce the implementation of the collective agreement signed between the Private Schools Owners Association and our union, positively impacting the standardized electronic contracts." Al-Shawabkeh affirmed the union's continued support for all efforts aimed at improving working conditions in the private sector, particularly those related to empowering women and achieving job equity.

The event included a comprehensive presentation on the campaign's achievements, delivered by the coordinators of the "Stand Up with the Teachers" campaign. They highlighted the campaign's journey since its launch in 2015 under the umbrella of the National Committee for Pay Equity, in collaboration with the ILO and Ahel for Community Organizing. Since its beginning, the campaign has worked to protect the rights of female teachers in the private education sector through training programs that raise awareness about labour rights under the Labour Law and Social Security Law, in addition to the rights stipulated in the unified contract. As part of the "Tamayyoz" program, the campaign also aims to enhance workers' capacity and skills in educational technology.

The event concluded with the signing of MoUs with the targeted schools. These MoUs reflect the schools' commitment to adhering to specific principles and standards regarding workers' rights, including promoting pay equity, electronic wage transfers, ensuring social protection, and engaging in capacity-building programs organized by the campaign for their staff.

At the end of the event, representatives of private schools expressed their appreciation for this initiative, affirming their readiness to collaborate with the "Stand Up with the Teachers" campaign to achieve shared goals and their commitment to implementing the unified contract's provisions.

This event is part of the Equality@Work project, implemented by the Decent Work for Women Programme in Jordan with support from the Government of Norway.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.