Palestina - Palestinian workers on strike over pay (2012)

At several points during the year, salaries were halved due to the ongoing financial crisis and lack of promised aid from donors. The Palestinian Authority (PA) civil servants union, angered at the cuts and lack of consultation, called on the government to limit the salary cuts made to universities, the electricity and water sectors and non-governmental schools. The teachers union, the union for public services employees, the union of health employees and the doctors union all signed a statement to this effect. The Palestinian Authority premier said that full salaries for the month of July would be paid, following strike threats from a union representing government employees. However doctors, hospital staff workers and charitable organisations from hospitals throughout the West Bank and Jerusalem went on strike in July after claiming they had not been paid in three months and called on the authorities to ensure payments were made to medical staff.

A later request that the Israeli authorities bring forward a regular payment of NIS 380 million in tax revenues so that the PA could pay salaries before the holiday of Id al-Fitr , at the end of Ramadam, was refused by the Israeli Finance Minister despite the agreement of other officials. After extra funding was received by donors, the PA announced salaries would be paid in full for August.

Public employees’ union chief Bassem Zakarna accused PA officials of effective censorship by ordering the PA-run Palestine TV and Palestine Voice radio station to cancel planned interviews over a strike announced in June over wages.

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