Ref: 106/2011

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
has followed up with utmost concern the implications of the protest actions
declared by UNRWA’s Local Staff Union (LSU). These measures include work strike
launched by LSU members because the UNRWA’s administration decided to suspend
the work of LSU Director for three months. PCHR calls upon UNRWA and LSU in
Gaza to find a just solution for this issue and give priority to the interests
of refugees, especially children, in the Gaza Strip who receive education,
health and social services. Approximately
218,297 children in 243 schools in the Gaza Strip are affected by these
measures.

LSU has declared a series of work strikes and
protest actions starting from today, 27 October 2011, until 03 November 2011,
following the failure of negotiations between LSU and UNRWA’s administration in
the Gaza Strip. In a press release, LSU
stated that the new actions are aimed at exerting pressure on the UNRWA’s
administration to find solutions for a number of outstanding problems,
including the decision to suspend the work of LSU Director for three months. LSU accused UNRWA of rejecting a number of
initiatives and propositions submitted to it by LSU, which included holding a
meeting with UNRWA Commissioner General on Wednesday, 26 October 2011, to
discuss a number of demands submitted by LSU, including cancellation of the
decision to suspend the work of LSU Director for three months. LSU called upon its staff to escalate their
protests based on a program as follows:

– Thursday, 27
October: A work strike by the staff in UNRWA regional office in Gaza and in the
Training College in Gaza. 

– Sunday, 30
October: A work strike by the staff in UNRWA regional office in Gaza, the
Training College in Gaza and Khan Yunis, Al Noor Centre for Blind Children and
all UNRWA schools.

– Monday, 31
October: A comprehensive work strike in all institutions of UNRWA with no
exceptions.

– Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday, 01 – 03 November: A work strike in UNRWA regional
office, including the Training College in Gaza and Khan Yunis, and all UNRWA
schools.

On 08 September 2011, the UNRWA’s
administration informed Mr. Suheil al-Hendi, LSU Director in the Gaza Strip, of
UNRWA’s decision to suspend his work for three months allegedly for being
engaged in political activities that contradicts with UNRWA’s administrative
regulations. On its part, LSU called for a series of protest actions at that
time, and UNRWA employees implemented these actions in protest against this
decision and the delay of implementing a number of demands of UNRWA employees
in Gaza, including the issue of health insurance, payment of allowance to the
persons who were employed to conduct the salaries survey, the issue of school
supervisions, registrars at clinics and drivers, and discussing the issue of
teachers’ and workers’ grades. Adnan Abu
Hasna, UNRWA spokesman in Gaza, refused to give any information to a PCHR
fieldworker this morning on UNRWA’s position from the ongoing crisis.

PCHR notes that the
right to form and join trade unions as guaranteed by the Palestinian Basic Law
and international human rights standards.  This right includes the
right to organize work strikes in accordance with regulating laws. PCHR calls upon UNRWA and LSU in the Gaza
Strip to find a just solution and to give priority to the interests if
refugees, especially children, who receive education, health and social
services. The just solution should guarantee continued provision of health,
environmental and social services by UNRWA.