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Ammon News - By Wael Jaraysheh

AMMONNEWS - A small ad-hoc parliamentary committee was formed on Monday to review teachers' salaries and benefits and the affect of the public sector salary restructuring plan on teachers' wages.

The ad-hoc committee includes members of the finance committee directed to review public sector teachers' wages before and after the restructuring plan, the results of which will be sent to the Parliamentary Speakership on Wednesday for deliberations.

The new committee will study current wages and restructuring plan's affecting on teachers benefits not exceeding 10 percent of wage increase.

The move to form the committee came as a reaction to statements by Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh on Sunday during a parliamentary session about the teachers' crisis and lawmakers' mediation to contain the general teachers' strike, which entered its second week.

Khasawneh said during a Parliament session Sunday that the Kingdom is going through an unprecedented financial and economic crisis, which makes teachers' demands difficult to meet.

“The budget the government has presented is the most austerity-driven one in the history of Jordan,” he said.

Teachers went on strike last week, demanding increase in their professional allowances from 70 to 100 per cent of their base salaries.

The lower House might use the general budget draft law to pressure the government to meet teachers' demands, especially that the house is expected to discuss the budget within days.

In accordance of the constitution, article 112 "The draft law covering the General Budget shall be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution at least one month before the beginning of the financial year, and Voting in respect of the budget shall take place on each chapter separately.

" During the debate of the General Budget, no proposal shall be accepted for the abrogation of an existing tax or the creation of a new one or the amendment, whether by increase or reduction, of existing taxes which are prescribed by financial laws in force, and no proposal shall be accepted for amending expenditures or revenues fixed by contract". the 5th statement of the same article states.