Zakarnah: W.B government workers will strike Tuesday and Wednesday

Monday February 04, 2008 10:51 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Palestinian governmental workers union announced on Monday that all public service employees in the West Bank will go on strike on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Teacher protesting - file 2007

The Union President, Bassam Zakarna, said that the strike is to protest the governments decision to force Palestinians in the West Bank to pay all their house tax, income tax, and water and electricity bills before the government allows them to renew their official documents like driving licenses and passports.

In addition, the Union is asking the government to award the public servants their overdue pay rise in relation to cost of living and transportation. Last week the teachers union and the public drivers' society implemented a one day strike for the same issues.

Zakarnah said that the strike is not political and the union is still willing to work with the government to end this strike adding that the union recognizes the legitimacy of the Palestinian government of Salam Fayyad but does not approve the decision of the tax clearance.

Thousands of Palestinians living in the West Bank are facing sever economical hardships due to the political situation leading to the majority of the population in the West Bank to be unable to pay water and electricity bills in addition to house and income taxes.

Salam Fayyads' government was appointed by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in June 2007 after the Hamas movement took total control of the Gaza strip in the same month.

west bank | internal unrest | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org