Palestinian teachers continue strike in spite of gov't threats

Palestinian teachers yesterday reiterated that they will not give in to government threats to end their strike and insisted on escalating their protests, Quds Press reported.

The Teachers’ Movement stressed it did not accept the government’s initiative, and called for staging a major sit-in in front of the Ministry of Education in Ramallah.

In a statement, the Teachers’ Union warned that they would not invigilate or mark secondary school exam papers.

“No one is able to bring the Palestinian teacher on his knees,” the statement said, “even through inciting against him.” Adding that attempts to end the strike by threatening teachers with losing their jobs will not force them to return to work.

The statement of the Teachers’ Movement reiterated: “The strike will not end unless the government has met our demands.”

It called on teachers to continue going to schools and to prove their attendance and then to leave immediately.

Palestinian teachers in the occupied West Bank have been on strike for three months demanding the government pay them their full salaries and increase their pay by 15 per cent.

Following the start of the strike on 5 February, the Finance Ministry promised to pay 85 per cent of the salaries before the start of the holy month of Ramadan, but the teachers refused this settlement saying previous promises have still not been met.

A 50-day strike which began in April 2022 ended when the government promised to meet the teachers’ demands, but the government did not keep its word.

READ: Court’s decision on Palestine teachers’ strike ‘invalid’, Bar Association says