Draft Agreement to Resolve Crisis Between UNRWA and Local Staff Union

Gaza, 21 Rabi’ul Awwal 1438/21 December 2016 (MINA) – Local Staff Union of UNRWA reached a draft agreement with the UN agency to end the current crisis by agreeing on a number of articles to be implemented by the start of 2017.

Suhail Al-Hendi, Chief of Staff Union of the agency in the Gaza Strip, told a press conference on Tuesday that all escalatory steps will be suspended to allow time for the implementation of the agreement, the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reported.

One of prominent terms agreed upon, Al-Hendi pointed out, is increasing workers’ salaries, similar to the Palestinian Authority as of January 2017.

The agreement included recruiting new graduates in all vacant positions by the beginning of 2017, he added.

According to Al-Hendi, those who have signed the “LDC” temporary contracts will turn into official employees of the agency.

UNRWA schools in both Gaza and the West Bank witnessed a series of protests and strikes due to UNRWA’s disregard of the employees’ demands.

For his part, Mahmoud Khalaf, National and Islamic forces’ representative, described this agreement as an accomplishment that was reached thanks to the hard work of all concerned parties.

“These understandings are important, but there will be more,” he said, pointing out that there are many demands still to be met for the refugees regarding education and health services.(T/P008/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)