TEACHERS RECEIVE PARTIAL PAYMENT; STRIKE ENDS;

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 004787 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ELAB PGOV KWBG SUBJECT: TEACHERS RECEIVE PARTIAL PAYMENT; STRIKE ENDS; SCHOOLS OPEN REF: JERUSALEM 4773 ¶1. (SBU) PA PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS RECEIVED A PARTIAL SALARY PAYMENT OF NIS 1,000 ON NOVEMBER 11 IN ACCORDANCE WITH AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PA GOVERNMENT AND THE GENERAL UNION OF TEACHERS (REFTEL),ACCORDING TO PRESS ACCOUNTS CONFIRMED BY ECONSPECIALIST. PUBLIC SCHOOLS OPENED ON NOVEMBER 11 FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER TWO MONTHS. ¶2. (SBU) PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS LAUNCHED THE STRIKE IN SEPTEMBER 2006 AT THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IN PROTEST OF THE PA'S FAILURE TO PAY THEIR SALARIES. TEACHERS EARN ABOUT NIS 1,500 TO NIS 2,500 A MONTH, AND THE GENERAL UNION OF TEACHERS HAS THREATENED TO RESUME THE STRIKE SHOULD THE PA FAIL TO PAY THE BALANCE OF THIS MONTH'S SALARY BY NOVEMBER ¶20. UNDER THE TERMS OF THE NOVEMBER 6 AGREEMENT, ALL BACK PAY SHOULD BE PAID THROUGH A SERIES OF FOUR TRANCHED PAYMENTS, STARTING IN JANUARY 2007. ¶3. (SBU) PA MINISTER OF PLANNING SAMIR ABU AISHA TOLD THE MA'AN NEWS AGENCY NOVEMBER 10 THAT A PROPOSAL SIMILAR TO THAT ACCEPTED BY THE TEACHERS HAD BEEN OFFERED TO THE FEDERATION OF HEALTH PROFESSIONALS' UNION, BUT HEALTH WORKERS DID NOT REPLY AND CONTINUE TO STRIKE. WALLES