After 70-day strike, Palestinian schools reopen
Source: Reuters
By Atef Sa'ad NABLUS, West Bank, Nov 12 (Reuters) - Palestinian chemistry teacher Jamileh Abdel-Rahim greeted the end of a nearly 70-day public school strike over unpaid salaries with a mixture of relief and bitterness on Sunday. "I'm happy I'm back teaching but I'm disappointed because our demands have not been met," said Abdel-Rahim of the West Bank city of Nablus, after getting a fraction of his overdue wages under a deal that ended the teachers' strike. Teachers returned to work on Saturday. Some 40,000 teachers and other education sector employees like Abdel-Rahim had been on strike since Sept. 2, part of a broader protest over wages that have gone largely unpaid since Hamas took control of the Palestinian Authority in March. Western countries cut off financial aid to the government over Hamas's refusal to recognise Israel, renounce violence and abide by interim peace deals. Palestinians hope a planned unity government will prompt the West to ease the sanctions in the coming months. Under a deal reached last week to end the school strike, most of the teachers in the occupied West Bank as well as the Gaza Strip have started receiving a 1,000 shekel ($231.2) "downpayment". On Nov 20, teachers will receive the remaining amount of their November salaries, said Jamil Shehadeh, head of the teachers' union. Teachers normally receive an average of 2,500 shekels per month. The deal allowed schools to reopen to more than 800,000 students. But Shehadeh warned that the strike could resume if the government failed to meet its commitments. Most government workers are affiliated to Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been in a power struggle with Hamas since the group won elections in January. Tulkarm teacher Abdel-Qader Abu Khater said his 1,000 shekel payment represented "the minimum" that the teachers demanded. But he added: "The education system was about to collapse." Parent Osama Subuh was pleased to see his children return to work, saying he feared for "their educational future." "It's good the children are back at school," said government worker Majdi Awartani, a father of two in Nablus who remains on strike. "But this created a new problem for me. I can't afford to buy them books or clothes."
| AlertNet news is provided by |  |
