Skip to main content

Palestinian teachers strike over pay dispute

Palestinian teachers in the West Bank have gone on a full strike, demanding a pay increase from the Ramallah government.
Public school teachers demonstrate in front of a ministry of education office on the first day of the new academic year in the West Bank city of Hebron September 2, 2006. Tens of thousands of Palestinian government employees went on strike in the West Bank and Gaza on Saturday in protest against unpaid salaries and the perceived failings of the Hamas-led government. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun (WEST BANK) - RTR1GWVF

A partial Palestinian teachers strike last weekend turned into a full strike on Monday, Dec. 2, with plans to hold a demonstration outside the prime minister’s office on Tuesday. The Palestinian government thought that it could avert the full strike when it won a decision by the Palestinian High Court of Justice calling on the Teachers Union to delay the strike until the government has a chance to remedy some of the complaints.

But the teachers defied the court decision, claiming that they were not officially informed of the ruling and that they only heard about it in the media. A meeting late Sunday night between the head of the teachers union, Ahmad Suheil, and President Mahmoud Abbas failed to break the deadlock.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.