Ref: 91/2007
Date: 15 August 2007
Time: 12:00 GMT
To Avert an Environmental Crisis:
PCHR Calls for Meeting the Just Demands of Gaza’s Municipality Workers to Ensure the Provision of Basic Services
PCHR warns of the danger of an environmental disaster in the cities of Gaza and Khan Yunis as a result of the municipality workers’ strike to protest the non-payment of their salaries for more than 7 months. The strike has resulted in the accumulation of uncollected garbage in the streets and neighborhoods of both cities. The Centre expresses solidarity with the demands of the municipality workers in the two cities, and calls upon the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) to take action to prevent this environmental disaster by meeting the workers’ just demands, which are the payment of salaries and back wages like other civilian and security employees. These demands should be met through a payment mechanism allowing them to provide an acceptable standard of living for their families in light of the deteriorating living conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in general, and the Gaza Strip in particular.
It is noted that approximately 2,000 employees in the municipality of Gaza started a full strike on Saturday, 11 August 2007, that stopped all work in essential services provided by the municipality. Only emergency crews drinking water wells and sanitation pumps are working. The workers’ union in the municipality of Khan Yunis started a partial strike from 10:00 a.m. till the end of the work day starting on Sunday, 12 August 2007. The following day, the Khan Yunis workers suspended work from 9:00 a.m. till the end of the work day. And on Tuesday, the workers’ union in the Khan Yunis municipality decided to suspend work indefinitely from 11:00 a.m. till the end of the day. These measures were taken to protest the non-payment of their salaries for more than 7 months.
Gaza municipality workers informed PCHR’s fieldworker that at 11:00 on Sunday, 12 August 2007, a force of three vehicles of the Executive Force arrived at the municipality building. The Force members deployed inside the municipality. The Force asked employees who were protesting inside their offices to leave the offices to the building grounds. The employees complied; and the Force members remained deployed in the area for 2 hours before leaving.
It is noted that the municipal strike has affected Gaza City, as piles of uncollected trash mounted throughout the city. In addition, the burning of uncollected trash by people has resulted in further air pollution in these cities. These piles are posing a health risk to the civilian population.
It is noted that municipality workers went on strike last April to protest the non-payment of their salaries for more than a year. They went back to work after part of their back wages were paid.
It is noted that Gaza and Khan Yunis are the two largest cities in the Gaza Strip. No municipal elections were held in these cities. Elections were slated for the 5th stage of local council elections after the first 4 stages were held in 2005. The municipalities of these cities have been run by appointed councils for decades.
PCHR warns against the negative response to the just demands of municipal workers in the Gaza Strip. The Centre expresses full solidarity with their just demands. In addition, the Centre affirms that the right to organize worker strikes is protected by protected by Palestinian law and International Human Rights Law. In addition, the Centre reminds municipality workers of their responsibility to continue providing basic services, especially the collection of garbage from streets. Further, the Centre:
Calls upon the PNA to immediately meet the demands of municipal workers by negotiating with their representatives to reach an acceptable solution to pay their back wages through a mechanism that guarantees an appropriate standard of living for the workers and their families.
Calls upon the Ministry of Local Government to seriously evaluate the financial conditions of municipalities, and to pay their budgets immediately in accordance with Article 22 of the Local Councils Law #1 for the Year 1997.
Calls upon the Executive Force to refrain from any form of intervention or influence on the actions of municipal workers, and to stop any form of intimidation or pressure to stop their struggle to attain their right to receive their salaries immediately in a manner similar to other civil and security employees.
Calls upon the municipal workers’ unions and committees to take into consideration the effect of their actions on basic services in the Gaza Strip, especially in the areas of drinking water supply, sewage disposal, and garbage collection; and calls for the continued formation of emergency crews to ensure that these sectors are functional in order to prevent the occurrence of health risks to the civilian population.
Calls upon the local community, especially capable institutions and individuals to contribute in solving this problem by paying any outstanding municipal fees, which will facilitate the payment of municipal salaries.
Calls upon the international community, especially donor countries, to provide financial support to the Gaza Strip municipalities to ensure the continued provision of basic services.
