Palestinian labor unions warn of repercussions of dismissing hundreds of UNRWA employees

OCCUPIED PALESTINE, Jan. 08 (YPA) – The General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions warned against UNRWA’s decision to terminate the services of approximately 622 Palestinian employees, considering it an arbitrary measure that infringes upon workers’ fundamental rights and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis amidst war and siege.

This came in press statements issued by the General Federation of Palestinian Trade Unions on Wednesday, in which it affirmed that the decision constitutes a legal and ethical violation and intensifies the suffering of hundreds of Palestinian families.

The Federation’s Deputy Secretary-General in the Gaza Strip, Tariq al-Hindi, stated that the dismissal of employees represents a form of collective punishment and cannot be separated from the policy of systematically targeting the Palestinian people and their sources of resilience.

He explained that the affected employees are displaced families living in extremely harsh humanitarian conditions, and that the loss of their source of income threatens their livelihood security and their ability to care for their children.

For his part, the Federation’s Secretary-General, Shaher Saad, called upon international trade union and labor organizations to intervene urgently and pressure UNRWA management to immediately reverse the dismissal decision and reinstate all employees to their jobs.

Saad emphasized that the economic conditions of Palestinian workers have reached unprecedented levels, with unemployment rates soaring and job opportunities continuing to be closed due to the occupation’s policies.

The union stressed the continuation of its union and legal actions and working to mobilize broad solidarity locally and internationally in defense of the rights and human dignity of the dismissed employees.