On strike since February the 10th, teachers of Palestine organized one more rally in Ramallah city, West Bank. The protests was to force the National Palestinian Authority government to respond the teachers’ demands, and more than 10 thousand people participated.
Teachers are struggling for a salary raise, and demand for the government to comply with the agreement signed in 2013. This agreement guarantees jobs and salaries, changes on the legislation over retirements, a bonus based on experience periods, and free university for teachers’ descendants.
The average salary of a Palestinian teachers is not more than $3.000 shekels (around US$765) a month. To have an idea, the average spent in rent in Ramallah is around $1.370 shekels a month, almost half of the salary they receive.
During the demonstration, teachers and students carried banners demanding #Dignity. This has been one of the slogans of the demonstrations and picket lines.
Repression and street closure
Last Tuesday rally counted with more than 20 thousand people. After the protest, 22 teachers were arrested as retaliation, and to intimidate the movement. Teachers’ were released the next days, after protests took place in several cities.
This week’s protest was not bigger just because the government closed the main accesses to Ramallah. Talking with a teacher, he mention that ‘blocking he accesses to the demonstrators is an anti-democratic absurd’, and he is sorry the National Palestinian Authority uses the same methods Israel’s army uses, the check-points.
Even like this, more than 10 thousand people concentrated in front of the Government’s building to protest. The demonstration counted with the participation of students, also. More acts are being called in the cities, and the population as a whole supports the strike.
Imad Temiza, Director of the Palestinian Postal Services Workers’ Union (PPSWU) said there is no chance of building a country with dignity with low paid teachers. This is a generalized feeling among Palestinian people.
The strike and the reorganization process
With a 95% adherence over 35,000 teachers, the strike is being organized from base committees at schools and in the neighborhoods.
The strike has an important meaning, as it is passing over the bureaucratic leadership of the union, aligned with the National Palestinian Authority’s government, and the party Fatah.
The union has been under the same leadership since the 60’s. Teachers demand new elections and denounce the President of the Union does not even practice as a teacher.
The current Union president opposses to the strike, and after meeting with the government, he announced his resignment from the union, together with other members, all of them part of Fatah, the government’s party. Despite his statement, teachers say this might be just a facade.
The strike is being organized from the base and through social networks, outside the union. A committee called Coordination Committee was created, its members elected by West Bank teachers. One of the Committee’s proposals is to democratize the Union and choose new representatives over the next two months.
Human Rights entities and the General Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Palestine, linked to the International Labour and Solidarity Network (ILSN), is supporting the strike. Representing CSP-Conlutas, we were present at the demonstration, together with members of this Federation.
GFITUP and ILNS support the Palestinian teachers’ strike, and the Palestinian people’s struggle!
Dignity!
Long live to Palestinian teachers’ strike!
Free Palestine!
From Herbert Carlos, directly from Ramallah, to CSP-Conslutas.
