Omani teachers sign petition requesting wage increase: why one teacher said no to signing

From what I have heard on the grapevine, a group of Omani teachers are passing around a petition requesting a salary increase.

One Omani teacher said he didn't need or deserve a raise and refused to sign. Here's why:

"I make close to the upper end of OMR 1000 a month. Most of those I work with, make much the same, excepting of course, the new teachers.

I know people who make only OMR 360 a month and live better than me, they just know how to save and spend their money. My job isn't that hard. Most teachers signing that position, their work isn't either.

If you want to argue, that the prices of food have gone up to justify a salary increase, I am not with you on that. We have what we need and more than that. If you want to buy a fancier car model or a bigger home than your family needs, that is a problem with your spending habits exceeding your earnings, not a problem of the Omani government that you should be looking for a Government hand-out to feed.

The prices for things have indeed gone up, and if you were handing me a petition to have the government control food prices and other essentials like housing, electricity, water, ect.... I'd sign it in an instant.

But we already make more than the average Omani who might have a harder job than ours, and who works more hours, so how does raising our salary help those out who also have to deal with the rising cost of living? If I know a man who can afford rent, feed a family of five and keep a housemaid for 360 rial, while costs are still rising, can you tell me honestly that someone who makes OMR 800 needs more than that to live decently?"

I read today in the Times of Oman that the government was making some effort to control agricultural prices. This is kind of a random post, but this was a totally unique statement I wasn't expecting from an Omani so I thought I'd share it with you all:D

Posted in: working in Oman