Jordan: Gearing Up for Strike  · Global Voices
Amira Al Hussaini

Jordan is gearing up for a strike on May 4, according to bloggers. Just like in Egypt, the message to strike was posted on Facebook, and later picked up by blogs, in protest against increasing prices and calling for better living conditions.
Jordanian Issues  [Ar] says the strike will coincide with a similar event in Egypt on the same day. According to the post:
فيه دعوة متداولة على “الفيس بوك” لإضراب عام في الاردن يوم 4 ايار. منه اعتراض على الوضع في البلاد ومنه عموما تضامن مع اضراب مماثل يجري في مصر في نفس اليوم. وانا اعتبرها صرخة شجاعة ومبادرة ضرورية. الا انني لا اعرف من وراء هذه الدعوة، وما هي نقاط ارتكازها. انا ايضا مع روح التضامن مع الشعب المصري وتوطيد التناغم الشعبي في المنطقة العربية عموما، لكن ليس بالضرورة ان ينسحب الوضع في مصر مكانيكيا على الاردن، لذلك رأيت ان انوه لبعض الاشكالات المرافقة لدعوة على هذا المستوى بالاردن، رغم تعاطفي المبدأي مع اي مبادرة ديمقراطية وسلمية كهذه.
There is an invite being circulated on Facebook for a general strike in Jordan on May 4. It is a protest against the situation in the country in general and in solidarity with a similar strike being held in Egypt on the same day. I consider it a brave and essential move. However, I don't know who is behind the strike and what is it aiming for. I am also supportive of the spirit of solidarity with the people of Egypt and solidifying the relations between people in Arab countries in general. But it isn't necessary for the situation in Jordan to mechanically synchronise with that in Egypt. This is why I would like to draw attention to the problems associated with this call in Jordan, despite my sympathy with any democratic and peaceful initiative.
From Amman, Ibrahim Safa [Ar] writes on Al Jazeera Talk :
كانت المفاجأة عندما رأيت مجموعة على الموقع المشهور فايس بوك (Facebook) مجموعة عنوانها “إضراب النشامى والرجالة”، “التغيير القادم من الشرق: مصري فلسطيني أردني، وهذا الإضراب بحسب ما يقولون ” لعيون الأردن، ولعيون مصر … تضامناً مع أنفسنا ومع أشقائنا المضربين في مصر … دعونا نضرب في الأردن يوم 4 / 5 / 2008م إضراب عام عن العمل وعن الخروج من المنازل حتى الساعة 11:00 صباحا لا حزبية ولا سياسية…شعبية شعبية شعبية” بل وأيضا” .
ويبدو أن الإضراب التضامني بين الشعبين المصري والأردني انضم إليه أيضا إضراب فلسطيني وبالتالي قد أصبح عبارة عن سلسلة إضرابات في المنطقة من أجل كما قلنا الغلاء الذي يتفشى في العالم العربي.
I was surprised to see a group on Facebook entitled The Strike of Men: Change is coming from the East: Egyptian, Palestinian and Jordanian. This strike is as they say, for the eyes of Jordan and Egypt… in solidarity with ourselves and our brothers in Egypt. Let us strike in Jordan on May 4, 2008. It will be a general strike from work and from leaving our homes until 11am. It isn't a political or party call but a public one. It seems that the solidarity strike between the Jordanians and the Egyptians, has attracted the Palestinians, and has triggered a call for strikes across the region against increasing prices in the Arab world.
ما سبب الإضراب؟
سبب الإضراب هو إيصال رسالة بأن الشعب الأردني لم يعد قادرا على تحمل المزيد.
What is the reason for the strike?
The reason is to send a message that the people of Jordan are not able to withstand more.
From Egypt, which is also gearing up for a strike on May 4, Zeinobia writes:
To my dear Jordanian friends is that true that there is a call for strike in Jordan in the Facebook on the 4th of May 2008 because of the increase in prices ??
wow our President Mubarak's birthday will be a regional one , if this happens it will be a real historical strike in two countries.
I do not know much about the internal affairs of Jordan but I know one thing Egypt is really the leader of the Arab world.
Update : Here is the URL of the Jordanian Facebook group that is calling for a strike
Their demands are :
* The Government put limit for the increase in Prices.
* Fixing the prices of Electricity and Gas.
* To end privatisation of public properties .
* To raise the salaries in the private sector.
As you see there are some similarities between the Egyptian Strike and the Jordanian strike , the main similarity is the economic factor.
They are not calling for protests , just stay at home
It is not Egypt is changing but the rest of the Arab world too