Jordan: Take action for the immediate release of education union leaders
Education International has launched an online petition in support of the imprisoned leaders of the Jordanian Teachers’ Association (JTA) and to guarantee the exercise of the fundamental rights of teachers and education workers in Jordan.
Workers and unionists worldwide are invited to sign the online petition, launched on the LabourStart web platform, to urge the Jordanian authorities to immediately release detained JTA leaders and revoke the unlawful suspension of the teacher union.
Government crackdown on teacher union
Education International’s call follows the Jordanian government’s recent anti-union crackdown that outraged the global education community.
On 25 July, Jordanian security forces arrested leading JTA members, raided the union’s offices, and shut the union down for two years. On the same day, riot police were deployed to stop peaceful demonstrations initiated by JTA members denouncing the crackdown on trade union rights. The JTA had also criticised the government’s poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
The Jordanian government has been using emergency laws enacted last March to limit civil and political rights. Many activists have been arrested in recent weeks for expressing opinions on social media which the authorities have ruled as being inappropriate.
Education International's appeal in support of union leaders
Education International has also called on its member organisations to send official letters to the authorities to condemn these blatant violations of the fundamental rights and democratic freedoms of teachers and workers.
