Palestinians decry ban on taking on second job

Ramallah: A Palestinian government ban on public workers taking on any extra private sector job, has upset many Palestinians and triggered a vigorous debate in society.

The government says the ban, which is due to take effect at the beginning of 2017, is necessary to ensure that Palestinian university graduates are able to get jobs.

The latest figures released by the Palestine Central Bureau of Statistics show that unemployment among Palestinians in the West Bank is at an alarming 30 per cent.

The government resolution, which has caused considerable controversy in Palestinian society, applies to all public workers, including both civil and security staff members of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

All heads of department who have granted approval to employees to take on private sector work, have been ordered to withdraw these permits effective immediately, and to never again issue or renew such approvals.

Heads of department have also been ordered to take strict punitive measures against public workers who violate the new regulations.

Workers have been given a three-month grace period in which to correct their status and quit all external work by the end of the year.

The official stance is that by the beginning of the new year, the Palestinian National Authority will not tolerate a single public worker with more than one job.

The decision has sparked a wave of public criticism as Palestinians decry the move as unfair.

Many say they have to work more than one job to cover their expenses as the price of living goes up.

The legality of the decision has also been contested.

Farid Al Jalad, former head of the Palestinian Higher Judicial Council says it is within the government’s rights to issue such a ban, but Hussam Arafat, a legal expert, said the decision is illegal and in direct violation of Civil Service Law No 5 of 2005.

“The ban creates a clash between the legislative and executive branches of government, as the civil service law was ratified by the Palestinian Parliament,” Arafat said.

According to Article 67 of the Palestinian civil service law, public workers may take on extra work, as long as it does not interfere with their public service in any way.

The PNA employs 220,000 public workers which costs them $2 billion (Dh7.35 billion) annually. The money comes mostly from taxes and contributions by donor countries.