Many West Bank workers go on strike over wages

RAMALLAH, West Bank, June 22 (Reuters) Many Palestinian government workers in the occupied West Bank took part in a one-day strike today, demanding wages that have not been paid for nearly four months.

''If the government does not act to alleviate our suffering, then we will escalate our steps until we cause a comprehensive paralysis of the ministries,'' said Bassam Zakarneh, head of the government employees' union.

Economic hardship has deepened in the West Bank and Gaza since the United States and other Western donors froze aid to the Palestinian government after Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, came to power in March.

The economic boycott has prevented the government from bringing in enough money to pay salaries to its 165,000 workers, stoking tensions and fears of civil war.

Workers at many ministries took part in the strike. But others from the departments of health, education, women's affairs and labour did not participate.

Zakarneh said the one-day strike could be extended if the government did not respond to workers' demands.

The employees' union is dominated by members of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction, which was trounced by Hamas in January parliamentary elections.

''I support the strike because it's the only means to protest against the practices of the Palestinian government,'' said Salam Ahmed, a Labour Ministry employee who took part in the strike in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Ahmed said the government was ''unable to meet the demands of its employees, mainly to provide bread for their families.'' But Mohammed Abu Muhsen, who opposes the strike, said the government should not be blamed by workers. ''We have to strike against those who are behind the siege,'' he said.

This week the Hamas-led government made partial payments to thousands of workers using cash Hamas officials and cabinet ministers carried into Gaza in suitcases.

The money was doled out at the government-run post offices because Palestinian commercial banks have refused to handle the government's funds for fear of being hit with US sanctions.

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