"Engineers" Retirement Amendments" raise controversy

 Al - Anbat- Yara Badosi 

Translated by : Abdullah Dabash

Amendments to the Law on the Union of Engineers on the Obligation to Subscribe to the Pension Fund have caused widespread controversy across social media platforms among Jordan's segment of engineers between a supporter and a rejecter.

Member of the Engineers' Association, FATIMA ABU Al-TOIOR, in a special talk with" Al - Anbat", said that the problem lies in the monthly deductions of the pension fund, noting that they are large amounts compared to the slides put forward by the union and the pensions that the engineer will receive after his retirement.

The amendments included the creation of a medium and balanced JD 350, the permission to subscribe to a JD 150 in the first (4) years of graduation, then the move to a JD 350 segment automatically instead of a JD 500, as well as the exemption of engineers under the age of 50 from additional fees to pay at different rates Their commitment to the Fund for the next 10 years and the application of the mandatory principle through the obligation to participate in the Fund for new members of the Union, and the obligation to participate in the Fund for engineers affiliated with the Union.

In return, the Head of the Media Department of the Engineers' Union Adel Al-Teti confirmed that the amendments to the pension fund system of the Engineers' Union that were submitted during a recent meeting of the General Authority on the pension fund of the Engineers' Union and the Board of the Union remain proposed and have not yet been approved.

And he continued, during his conversation with" Al - Anbat" , that the amendments submitted by the Council came with the aim of maintaining the financial balance of the Fund and maintaining the sustainability of disbursing pension salaries to engineers and beneficiary families, and that it would pass within the work process procedures to approve any amendment, stressing that the amendments obtained approval from the General Authority of the Fund Retirement and the central body of the union until 

He explained that the amendments will be submitted to the General Authority of the Union on the 18th of next month during an extraordinary meeting to be held for a vote, stating that if voted upon they will be implemented 30 days after their publication in the Official Gazette without retroactive effect.

The amendments contribute to the recovery of pension contributions paid upon withdrawal from the union after reaching retirement age, the redistribution of the financial burden of the Fund between participants and retirees and the charging of retirees (10%) of pension salaries to retirees and beneficiaries . "