Public sector nurses begin open-ended strike

AMMAN — Public sector nurses started an open-ended strike on Wednesday demanding better benefits as the Health Ministry called for dialogue. 

“We have had enough with the Health Ministry. Our demands are legitimate but the ministry does not care about the nursing profession and is deliberately ignoring our demands,” charged Jordan Nurses and Midwives Association President Mohammad Hatamleh.

“We will not end our strike until the ministry stops killing this profession,” he told The Jordan Times. 

Some 11,000 nurses in the public sector are taking part in the strike, according to Hatamleh. 

Health Ministry Spokesperson Hatem Azrui called for ending the strike and resorting to dialogue. 

“The strike will affect the lives of patients,” the official said.

“The ministry is keen on upgrading the profession of nursing and improving nurses’ work conditions,” he added. 

But Hatamleh said the nurses have held several meetings with the government “but to no avail”. 

“Our demands need to be fulfilled immediately,” he added.

The association is calling for increasing the technical allowance of staff nurses from 100 per cent of the basic salary to 120 per cent.

It also wants the technical allowance for practical and associate nurses raised from 40 per cent of the basic salary to 70 per cent.

In addition, the association is asking for increasing the overtime allowance from 30 per cent of the basic salary to 35 per cent of the overall paid salary for all nurses in the public sector.