Palestinian teachers and employees resumed their general strike for the
third day in protest to not receiving their full salaries sine march
2006. Ministries, schools and government officer are closed and school
students came back home without attending their first day in the new
school year.
Bassam Zakarna, head of the Union of Government Employees, said that the percentage of striking employees has significantly increased since Saturday.
He added that 98% of the employees participated in Monday's strike.
A local teacher at Beit Sahour School for Girls told the IMEMC that the whole amount she and her colleagues received since March is less that a two-month salary.
“We received three payments, in total the three payments are less than two-month salary”, the teacher said, “All governmental school are on strike until further notice”.
She added that the teachers received an official statements from the Teachers Union in Palestine informing them to go on general strike until further notice.
Also, Jamil Shihada, head of the Teachers Union, told the IMEMC that the strike will be ongoing, and will not end until the government transfers the salaries and find popper solutions to the current crisis.
“We are not demanding increase”, he said, “We are demanding to receive our salaries”.
He also said that the teachers are suffering and unable to pay even their transportation expenses, “They are under enormous economical and psychological pressure, they can't teach under these conditions”.
On Sunday, one Palestinian child after shots were fired at him by unknown gunmen while he was heading to School in Nablus. The attack is seen as a serious escalation and attack, several Palestinian factions slammed that attack and demanded an end to chaos.
At least 165.000 employees are participating in the strike, they are demanding to receive their salaries. The strike, Shihada said, is not in support of one party against another, it was declared to demand the transfer of the salaries as the Palestinian Hamas-led government suffers a serious financial crises as a result of the siege against it.
Meanwhile, Hamas warned that this strike could cause the collapse of the current talks with Fateh on the formation of a national unity government.
Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas media spokesperson, accused unspecified sides of attempting to weaken the Palestinian government in an attempt to pressure it to make concession during talks for a national unity government.
Yasser Abed-Rabbo, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, said that he does not expect that a National Unity Government will be formed within ten days, holding Hamas responsible for the issue.
Abed-Rabbo added that Hamas still rejects the political program of president Abbas.
