Jordan Urges UNRWA to Meet Demands of Striking Staff
Jordan's parliament on Wednesday urged the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency to meet the demands of its staff in the country after they launched an open-ended strike to push for better pay.
"The lower house stresses the need of finding a solution to the crisis between the U.N. Relief and Works Agency's management and employees in a way that satisfy the two sides," it said in a statement.
"The lower house fully supports the demands of employees and calls for meeting their needs and providing them with decent living conditions under the current economic difficulties worldwide," it added, urging government mediation to end the dispute.
The majority of UNRWA's 7,500 staff in Jordan began the strike on Sunday after management failed to meet their demand for a $140 salary raise.
The strike forced UNRWA's 172 schools in Jordan to close, affecting 123,000 pupils.
An UNRWA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Agence France Presse that the standoff might soon be resolved.
"A solution to the problem is possible soon after a positive meeting between Jordanian government officials and representatives of the staff," the official said, without elaborating.
UNRWA cares for some five million Palestinian refugees in the Middle East, more than two million of them in Jordan.
The agency has made a $344 million emergency appeal this year.
Source: Agence France Presse
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