Palestinian strike over wages wins strong support What would you do if you didn't get paid?

More of these articles, which all people can relate to, and less of the kill the devil jew, and the Palestinians might obtain support from the west.
Their cause needs more than a few anti-American Americans.
The average everyday Palestinian is hurting and should push aside the terrorists so the world can see him. We only see terrorists.

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Palestinian strike over wages wins strong support
02 Sep 2006 08:39:58 GMT

Israeli-Palestinian conflict

By Wafa Amr and Nidal al-Mughrabi

RAMALLAH/GAZA, Sept 2 (Reuters) - 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.

It was the first major work stoppage of its kind since Hamas, an Islamist militant group, came to power in March and amounted to a challenge of the government's authority by the rival Fatah movement, which strongly backs the strike.

Most schools across the West Bank, home to 2.4 million Palestinians, were closed on the first day of the new academic year, with teachers among the strongest adherents to the open-ended action, called for by a major workers' union.

Government offices were also shuttered as a large portion of the government's 165,000 employees went along with the protest.

Support for the strike was stronger in the West Bank, where Fatah enjoys substantial backing, but was also surprisingly robust in Gaza, the coastal strip that is a Hamas stronghold.

Most government workers are affiliated to Fatah, the party of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been in a power struggle with Hamas since the Islamists won a surprise victory in elections held in January.

"The strike has succeeded by 95 percent so far," Bassam Zakarneh, the head of the union organising the stoppage, told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

"We have given many chances to the government but they have done nothing. Our demand is that we get our salaries and all our salaries, not partial salaries."

UNPAID SALARIES

Government wages have been largely unpaid since March, when Hamas took power, prompting Western countries to cut off aid to the Palestinian government because Hamas is considered a terrorist organisation. Hamas is sworn to Israel's destruction and has carried out suicide bombings in the past.

The lack of funds thrust the Hamas-led authority into a crisis, with it effectively unable to perform its duties.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a senior Hamas leader, on Friday urged government employees not to go along with the strike, saying they should instead focus their anger against Israel. But many appeared to ignore his call.

"We are living in difficult conditions and we must be united," Haniyeh said. "We should direct our anger against those who besiege our people and their elected government."

The head of the teachers union in Gaza, a Fatah member, said up to 70 percent of schools were closed and said he expected support for the action to grow in the coming days.

"Our strike is not directed against the government but it is a message to the government that they must act to end the crisis of salaries," said Fadel Qandil, a spokesman for the union.

Thousands of children did turn up at schools in Gaza City, but in most cases there were no teachers there to teach them. In the West Bank, the gates of some schools were padlocked and Hamas supporters tried to smash them open.

Police in the West Bank said they were on alert for potential clashes between Hamas and Fatah rivals.

Haniyeh and Abbas have held talks in recent weeks to try to find a solution to the crisis, possibly by forming a unity government, but negotiations appear stalled at this point.

Even if a unity government were formed, it is not guaranteed to put an end to the funding crunch, with donors saying that Hamas must first recognise Israel and put a stop to attacks.