Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06JERUSALEM4893
2006-12-04 16:45:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Jerusalem
Cable title:  

PA HEALTH SECTOR UNION AGREES TO END STRIKE;

Tags:  EFIN ELAB PGOV KWBG QA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO5651
OO RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #4893/01 3381645
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 041645Z DEC 06
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5929
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 004893 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS;
TREASURY FOR NUGENT/HIRSON; BRUSSELS FOR LERNER; PLEASE
PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/4/16
TAGS: EFIN ELAB PGOV KWBG QA
SUBJECT: PA HEALTH SECTOR UNION AGREES TO END STRIKE;
REACTION TO QATARI OFFER TO PAY EDUCATION AND HEALTH SECTOR
SALARIES

REF: JERUSALEM 4747

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JERUSALEM 004893

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS;
TREASURY FOR NUGENT/HIRSON; BRUSSELS FOR LERNER; PLEASE
PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/4/16
TAGS: EFIN ELAB PGOV KWBG QA
SUBJECT: PA HEALTH SECTOR UNION AGREES TO END STRIKE;
REACTION TO QATARI OFFER TO PAY EDUCATION AND HEALTH SECTOR
SALARIES

REF: JERUSALEM 4747

Classified By: Consul General Jake Walles, Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: The PA government and the PA health sector
employees union reached an agreement December 3 to end the
health sector strike with payment of salary arrears. Health
sector employees are scheduled to return to work December 5
but vowed to restart the strike if salary payments are not
forthcoming from the PA government. Local press carried
reports of the Qatari government's December 3 announcement
that it would provide USD 22.5 million per month to cover PA
education sector salaries and that it will consider payment
of USD 7 million per month to cover health sector costs. The
announcement came during the PA Prime Minister's visit to
Qatar, prompting widespread criticism by supporters of PA
President Abbas (Abu Mazen). End Summary.

PA Health Sector Employees
Reach Strike-ending Agreement
--------------


2. (SBU) Acting PA Finance Minister Samir Abu Aisha
announced to the press that the health sector union reached a
strike-ending agreement December 3 with the Hamas-led PA
government; PA health sector employees are due to return to
work December 5. According to press reports, the main PA
employees union, the Union of Public Employees "blessed" the
agreement by the health sector employees union.


3. (SBU) The strike-ending agreement, as reported in the
press, calls for November salaries to be paid within the next
three days. (Comment: We understand that the PA government
is taking several days to calculate what salaries should
actually be paid and are subtracting previous allowances paid
by the PA government, PA Presidency, and the Temporary
International Mechanism (TIM). End comment.) According to
the agreement, October salaries will be paid within a week,

while December salaries will be paid before January 15, 2007.
The remainder of the salary arrears will be paid over
several months. (Note: While we have not yet seen the health
sector's actual strike-ending agreement, the teachers'
strike-ending agreement called for the payment of salary
arrears in four monthly tranches, starting January 1
(reftel). End Note.)


4. (SBU) The government, per the press reports, also agreed
to pay certain categories of health sector workers "risk
allowances," for example, those that work with highly
infectious patients. The government also agreed to pay
overtime and to cancel any disciplinary measures against
Health Ministry employees who participated in the strike.
The government agreed to reconsider payment of travel
allowances for employees who had been on-strike; the cabinet
had previously ruled that it would not pay travel allowance
to striking PA employees. Lastly, the government agreed that
Health Ministry employees should receive a 30 percent
discount on PA health insurance costs.


5. (SBU) Family members of Health Ministry employees in the
West Bank told Econ Specialist that the employees were happy
with the agreement and pleased to be returning to work.
However, they did state that if the salary payments are not
forthcoming from the PA government, they would restart the
strike.

Qatari payments for education
and health sector salary costs
--------------


6. (C) Local press also carried the Qatari government's
December 3 announcement that it will provide USD 22.5 million
per month for several months to cover PA education sector
salaries and is considering payments of USD 7 million per
month for health sector salaries. The announcement
coincided with the visit of PA Prime Minister Isma'il
Haniyyah to Doha. Supporters of Abu Mazen reacted very
negatively to the Qatari announcement during Prime Minister
Haniyyah's visit. Hanna Nasser, head of the Central
Elections Commission, was very critical to PolChief of
Qatar's decision to make the announcement while Haniyyah was
visiting. Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member Salam
Fayyad made similar comments to the Consul General. Abu

JERUSALEM 00004893 002 OF 002


Mazen's economic advisor Mohammed Mustafa called the Consul
General on December 4 and urged the U.S. government to press
Doha to stop undermining the PA President in this way.

Qatar branching into Palestinian
banking sector
--------------


7. (C) Separately, Palestinian Monetary Authority (PMA)
Deputy Governor Jihad al-Wazir told EconChief that press
reports that Qatar would set up a branch of the Qatar Islamic
Bank in the West Bank and Gaza were premature. He said that
the PMA is encouraging the Qataris to buy up smaller banks in
the West Bank/Gaza since the sector is over-banked and the
PMA is actively encouraging consolidations and mergers. He
said the Qataris are slated to visit in January to discuss
the issue, contrary to press reports of a visit within 10
days time.
WALLES