Non-payment of salaries hits Palestinians hard

Occupied Jerusalem: A report about the situation of Palestinian public sector employees reflected a bleak picture, as the strike announced at the beginning of this month by 165,000 employees, who have not been paid since March, is continuing.

The report, prepared by the Portland Trust, said the public sector is facing complete collapse, and so is the living situation of employees.

It revealed 95 per cent of employees who live in rented houses have stopped paying rent, 93 per cent have stopped buying clothes, 25 per cent have stopped smoking, while 74 per cent have got loans from friends and 22 per cent said they wanted to migrate.

The figures are extremely grave and need the immediate attention of government establishments, according to Samir Hulaila, Director of the trust in Palestinian territories.

"All employees believe they cannot hold on beyond the end of this month, especially that despair of a prompt solution prevails among employees, which created a wide tendency to migrate, especially in Gaza," Hulaila told Gulf News.

Hulaila said international aid was limited, and President Mahmoud Abbas's attempts to arrange other resources were not promising.

This report prompted Ahmad Assaf, Deputy Chairman of the Syndication of Government Employees, to stress employees will give the government more time beyond this month to solve their financial and economic crisis.

Later, Assaf threatened a "hunger revolution" was bound to take place in the West Bank and Gaza, and all sectors of society would suffer along with government employees.

"Palestinian society is suffering grave problems as a result of the non-payment of salaries. Unofficial statistics show an increase in domestic violence and divorce rates," he told Gulf News.

This has been confirmed by Dr Nadir Saeed of the Female Studies Institute of Ber Zeit University, who is carrying out studies to find out the psychological and social effects of the strike.

Ninety-five per cent of employees have stopped paying house rent, 93 per cent have stopped buying clothes, 25 per cent gave up smoking, while 74 per cent have got loans from friends and 22 per cent said they wanted to migrate, according to a report.