2 UNRWA unions call strike starting November 3

AMMAN — Two UNRWA staff unions at UNRWA’s Jordan headquarters and field offices announced that they will go on strike as of Sunday, November 3.

Calling for a JD200 raise — with JD100 distributed immediately — in view of “the current economic condition", the strike is set to include all UNRWA staff who provide different agency services, such as education, health and others, according to a statement.

UNRWA Spokesperson Sami Mshasha told The Jordan Times in an e-mail that the strike, happening only at UNRWA’s Jordan offices, “affects close to 7,000 workers who work at our Jordan field operations and couple of hundred staff who work at UNRWA HQ offices in Amman”.

He added: “The strike will have serious negative ramifications on UNRWA’s core and vital services to 2.1 million Palestine refugees, especially to education in our 169 schools hosting more than 120,000 students and to our health services administered through 26 health centres, in addition to our relief and social services. A prolonged strike would put the entire academic year in jeopardy and would affect the health conditions of patients, especially those with chronic diseases.”

According to information provided by the agency, its current deficit stands at $89 million, after the US, the agency’s “oldest and number one donator for years”, decided to stop its $360 million contribution.

Mshasha commented on the strikers’ demands, saying: “Our cash position is critical. As such, the agency cannot agree to the demands of an immediate JD100 increase across the board and to all staff. We simply do not have the money to do so, as we struggle to secure salaries during the month of November for our 30,000 staff members working in our five fields of operations.”   

The two staff unions are still, however, set to go on strike. They declined to comment any further at this point, despite several attempts by The Jordan Times.

According to a statement sent to The Jordan Times, UNRWA dismissed claims by the striking workers that some UNRWA school classes have more than 45-50 students, saying that the number of classes with this many students does not exceed 23 per cent, and is “actually in decline, as last year it was 32 per cent”.

The UNRWA statement also dismissed some workers’ claims that the medications given out by its medical centres are expired, and that 50 per cent of its environmental workers were dismissed.

“The medications are all up to standard and approved, and none of the 305 environmental workers have been dismissed,” added the statement.

Mshasha noted that “despite the agency’s serious financial challenges, key decisions improving working conditions were adopted”, among which are an extension of service to the age of 62 on an annual basis, increased share of the agency’s contribution to the provident fund and upgrades for certain categories of teachers and security guards.

He concluded: “Going on a strike at this time, and when donors, partners and host authorities are rallying behind UNRWA on the eve of the agency’s mandated renewal discussions in the UN General Assembly, could not be further from the interests of the agency, its staff or Palestine refugees.”