A group of UNRWA workers in Jordan continue their hunger strike for the 10th consecutive day at their headquarters in “Bayader Wadi Al Sir” in the capital, Amman, including “Manal Sarsour”, a trade unionist in the agency.
The employees protest against the new health contract, which started to be implemented by the UNRWA administration a month ago, asking for a fair contract and the improvement of their living conditions, in light of their deprivation of their right to raise their salaries in light of the raising in prices, as well as, raising the health insurance premiums and the non-abandoning of their retired colleagues.
They also complain about the continuation in the reduction of their benefits, such as the unpaid leave, the early voluntary retirement, the extension of the age of retirement to 62 and the work suspension with a salary in advance. They also called for the mobilization of job vacancies and the return of day laborers in various programs and departments to relieve pressure on the main workers.
Some of the hunger strikers were taken to the hospital after the deterioration of their health situation. Moreover, they continued to organize strikes to express their anger at the administration's disregard of their demands, which merely threaten workers for protesting. Noting that last week, the administration directed administrative penalties for employees who are on hunger strike.
This epic struggle was supported by dozens of UNRWA lawyers and activists who organized a solidarity breakfast (salt and water) with the strikers in front of the headquarters of the agency.
Despite the hunger strike and the continuing protests, the administration did not react positively to the employees’ demands but continued to ignore the rights of about 7,000 employees.
Media sources confirmed that the administration went beyond that by restricting the trade union’s work. The head of the employees committee prevented the president of the union of presidency workers from contacting the employees via e-mail and requested prior approval of meetings of trade union committees and unions, which represented a clear violation of the most basic principles of trade union work locally and internationally.
#hunger_strike: #struggle #UNRWA #Jordan
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