Palestinian PM urges govt workers not to strike

GAZA, Sep 1 (Reuters) Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas urged government workers today to scrap plans for an open-ended strike, saying the resulting chaos would only benefit Israel.

Civil servants demanding wages largely unpaid since March plan to stop work from tomorrow, threatening to shut government institutions except for hospitals and border crossing points.

Most government workers are affiliated to the once dominant Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas, who has been locked in a power struggle with Hamas ever since the Islamists won a surprise victory in parliamentary elections in January.

''I (especially) urge teachers and students to go to their schools to begin the new school year,'' Haniyeh said.

''We are living in difficult conditions and must be united,'' Haniyeh added while joining Hamas activists and other officials in collecting garbage piled up on the streets of Gaza City after recent strikes by municipal workers.

Israel, the United States and the European Union have imposed an aid boycott on the Hamas-led government. Israel wanted to divide the Palestinian people, Haniyeh said.

Western powers have demanded Hamas, whose charters calls for the destruction of Israel, to recognise the Jewish state and renounce violence for aid to be restored.

The boycott has prevented the cash-strapped government from paying salaries since March.

The Fatah-led employees union has said the strike would cover all government workers, estimated at 165,000, including public school teachers and health care workers. There have been small work stoppages in the lead-up to the general strike plan.

The strike could prevent the reopening tomorrow of government schools attended by some one million Palestinian children.

Abbas is in Gaza for talks with Haniyeh on forming a unity government that some Palestinian leaders hope could lead to an easing of foreign sanctions. The negotiations are expected to drag on for weeks.

''We are still at the beginning. I hope our efforts succeed to protect national unity,'' Haniyeh said.

One Abbas aide has said the president was determined to achieve a breakthrough on a unity government -- either by winning over Hamas, or acting against it should talks fail.

Abbas could, in theory, fire Haniyeh, though some analysts consider this unlikely given Hamas's popularity and Palestinian fears such a move would renew internal political violence.

Hamas has shown little sign it of caving in to international demands to recognise Israel and accept interim peace agreements, a major source of friction with Abbas.

The Islamists also want to retain key portfolios in any unity cabinet, including the prime minister's post. Abbas's aides have said that was unfeasible.

REUTERS BDP KN1450