Court rules for dissolving teacher syndicate council; JTA says decision appealable

AMMAN — The West Amman Court on Sunday ruled that the Jordan Teachers Association’s (JTA) council be dissolved for violating the syndicate’s law.

The court found that the council had breached Article 15 of the JTA Law, which stipulates that the syndicate’s central commission shall hold an ordinary meeting within the second week of October each year.

The lawsuit was filed by a member of the council due to commission’s failure to call for an ordinary meeting in October 2014.

JTA spokesperson, Ayman Okour, said the association “respects the Jordanian law and court verdicts”, noting that the ruling can be appealed.

“This is a preliminary decision that does not entail any legal or executive measures against the council,” he said in an e-mail sent to The Jordan Times.

Okour stressed that dissolving the council can only be possible with a definitive judicial decision according to Article 27 of the JTA Law.

Asked on the motive behind the lawsuit, Okour charged that “some insist on dissolving the council or hindering its work in this very sensitive period”.

“The central commission is heading towards elections and some are working to disrupt the process,” he told The Jordan Times, without giving further details.

Established under a 2011 law, the association has 140,000 members.

The JTA central commission has 313 members, while the syndicate’s council is made up of 15 members.