Nurses association president moving ahead with ‘solo protest’

AMMAN — Jordan Nurses and Midwives Association President Mohammad Hatamleh will start staging a solo sit-in near the Prime Ministry as of Monday to demand an increase in public sector nurses' technical and overtime allowances.

Hatamleh said he will observe a two-hour sit-in every day until the government meets the association's demands.

"I will hold the sit-in alone as we nurses have a moral obligation towards patients," he told The Jordan Times on Sunday. 

"Nurses in the public sector wanted to hold a work-stoppage, but after discussions, we decided that only I will stage a sit-in so as not to affect services provided to patients."

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.

"These are legitimate demands… there is pressure when it comes to working overtime for public sector nurses and it is fair to increase their allowance," Hatamleh said.

"I have been calling on the government to meet these demands for more than two years but to no avail. I am going ahead with my protest until the government meets all these demands," he added.

Health Ministry officials were unavailable for comment.