Union suspends university strike for 10 days

Bethlehem – Ma'an – The Union of University Employees in the West Bank announced Sunday that it will suspend its ongoing strike for 10 days beginning Monday.

Union head Abed Al-Jawwad Al-Atrash told the Ma'an Radio Network that the decision followed a union meeting with the ministerial committee, where it was decided that a new committee would be formed to evaluate employees' demands and "solve their problems as soon as possible."

"Suspending the strike during this period of time will offer the ministry of higher education the opportunity to find a fair and sustainable solution for governmental university employees," Al-Atrash said.

All students must return to class on Monday to be able to make up for three consecutive weeks of strikes, he added.

University union council head Amjad Barham told Ma'an that "suspending the union's procedures came upon a request presented by representatives of the Palestinian Legislative Council's parliamentary blocs, after pledging to resolve all union's issues and its fair demands for all employees in Palestinian universities."

"We are not interested in obstructing the academic life in universities but we were forced to do so because of a foot dragging policy perused by the Ministry of Higher Education and the Council of Higher Education," Barhum added.

University staff demand the following:

1 - An increase in salary in accordance with the rise of the cost of living as of 1 September 2009 in accordance with an agreement made between the union's council and the council for higher education, endorsed by the PLC.

2 - Implementing an income tax agreement for university staff that was passed by Yasser Arafat on 1 January 1995 and amended and approved by the council of higher education on 8 July 2004.

3 - The swift implementation of a cabinet decision to include all employees of Palestinian universities on the public pension system.