Palestinian Authority in West Bank targets strikers

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministerial Council in Ramallah has taken several measures against a strike by members of the Teachers’ Union, which started on Sunday. The union is calling for better financial status and no more government negligence of the education sector.

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Supreme Court decreed that the strike is illegal and told teachers to go back to work as soon as possible. The court said that the teachers’ action harms students’ interests. The Ministerial Council has asked the justice minister to take punitive steps against the General Secretary of the Teachers’ Union because it has refused to stop the strike following the court’s judgement.

Teachers taking part in the strike will have their wages cut. The council has asked the education minister to prepare a list of replacement staff to cover for teachers who do not go to work for more than 15 days.

“We will not talk with the union as long as its members are on strike,” said a spokesperson for the Ministerial Council. A committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister Zeyad Abu-Amro is set to speak with the union as soon as the strike ends.