PA signed agreement with teachers

Caretaker Prime Minister Rami Handallah Ramallah - Arab Today Caretaker Prime Minister Rami Handallah said Thursday that the Palestinian Authority has signed an agreement with the teachers' union after it threatened strike action. Hamdallah said the agreement met the teachers' demands, a statement from his office said. The PA has also transferred around 4.7 million shekels ($1.285 million) to Palestinian universities, Hamdallah said. The PA will amend civil services laws, he added. The teachers' union on Sunday threatened to take "unprecedented action" unless the Palestinian Authority responded to its' demands. Ahmad Suhweil, secretary-general of the union, told Ma'an that the union had given the PA until Wednesday to implement their demands. "In the case that this doesn't happen the union will escalate its actions to include all options, including full strikes in schools and administrations," Suhweil said. The teachers' union organized regular strike action in the first half of 2013 to protest unpaid salaries. Teachers had also demanded a regular promotion system, recognition of teaching as a profession, and adherence to the career ladder among others. Source: Maan