labor watch- j.t -Continuing their deliberations over the teachers association draft law, lawmakers on Wednesday endorsed mandatory membership after a heated argument over the issue.
During yesterday's Lower House session, an overwhelming majority of MPs approved the mandatory membership in the association as recommended by the government, scrapping a proposal by the Legal Committee to make membership in the union a matter of choice for public school teachers.
Opponents argued that compulsory membership is against the Constitution and the basic principles of democracy and human rights, while the opposite camp expressed concerns that optional membership is prone to give a certain party the upper hand over the association.
Deputies Khalaf Hweimel (Karak, 4th District), Nariman Rousan (Irbid) and Asmaa Ruawdieh (Maan) indicated that leaving it up to teachers to join or not to join the association may lead to a full domination over the union by a certain party or blocs from certain regions, in an apparent reference to the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest opposition group, which has a wide base of supporters among teachers, especially in large urban centres, according to observers.
Deputies Abdul Qader Habashneh (Karak, 1st District) and Mustafa Shneikat (Balqa, 1st District) said mandatory membership would contribute to terminating regional and tribal allegiances and help teachers join a systematic, professional and, more importantly, unbiased union.
However, head of the Legal Committee Deputy Abdul Karim Dughmi (Mafraq, 1st District), explained that mandatory membership is unconstitutional and contradictory to the basic doctrines of free will and democracy which are at the heart of human rights (membership in the other 14 professional associations is mandatory).
"Some activists accused us [members of the committee] of playing a subjugating role when we recommended the optional membership," Dughmi said, asking whether it is "fair to describe us as tyrants when all that we sought was to boost personal freedom".
Agreeing with Dughmi, MP Yihya Saud (Amman, 2nd District) said mandatory membership is against Article 7 of the Constitution which stipulates that "personal freedom shall be guaranteed".
Deputy Ibrahim Shdeifat (Mafraq, 1st District) said he met with many teachers who were divided over the issue of whether to make membership optional or mandatory, saying: "It is not true that all teachers want a mandatory membership, as claimed by some activists... A majority of teachers seem to advocate optional membership."
Also yesterday, deputies voted for amending an article of the draft law stipulating that "teachers should resort to dialogue to defend their demands" to "teachers should use all legal methods to support their demands, particularly dialogue".
In addition, deputies set three membership requirements for the teachers association: A member has to be a Jordanian national, with no criminal record and not a member of any other professional association.
Last week, leading teacher activists warned that if the House disapproves the mandatory membership they will escalate their measures, threatening another strike at the beginning of the school year in September.
Lawmakers will resume their deliberations of the 30-article draft law in the next sessions.
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