Palestinian workers demand action from the PA

Members of various leftist factions and trade unionists staged a demonstration in central Ramallah against the Palestinian Authority’s non-implementation of the minimum wage law on Tuesday 12th May. Beginning outside the headquarters of the Palestinian Legislative Council at 11.30 the demonstration moved through Ramallah demanding workers’ rights and protection.

The Palestinian Authority passed legislation which set a minimum wage for the first time in 2012 at 1,450 shekels monthly (approximately $400). At that time many workers’ unions complained that the level was unacceptably low.

Now, three years later the legislation seems to have had little affect in practice with many workers still complaining of not being paid according to the established minimum which in itself is considered to be set at a unacceptable level with high living costs in Palestine today.

The Palestinian General Trades Union Federation, the Palestinian People’s Party and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine were amongst the major participants in the protest which reached the office of Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdullah before being blocked by locked gates and lines of Palestinian Authority security forces.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister’s office came to speak to the demonstrators and assured them that the PA is working to implement the minimum wage and defend workers’ rights whilst activists expressed their frustrations and demanded the PA do more to support the struggles of Palestinian workers.