Palestinian teachers to launch 3-day strike

RAMALLAH: On Saturday, the Palestinian Teachers Union announced that it would strike for three days this week, Ma’an News Agency reports. Sunday through Tuesday there will be no classes in public schools, the secretary general of the union said, and teachers are demanding regular scheduled payments.

Recent months have seen increased striking by teachers and other areas of Palestinian society. Last Wednesday and Thursday West Bank teachers and civil servants went on strike, also because of irregular or partial salary payments by the Palestinian Authority (PA).

In December, teachers in Hebron, Nablus, Bethlehem, and Jenin launched a mass strike about delayed salaries from the prior month. The strike affected 57,000 students and 166 schools, according to Wafa News.

In September, the West Bank was engulfed in mass economic demonstrations that drew the participation of wide ranging segments of society, including transportation, education, and civil servants. Protesters were angry over the Palestinian Authority’s economic policies, particularly those of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.