Palestinian PM's staff joins anti-government strike for salaries

GAZA CITY - Staff from the Palestinian prime minister's office went on strike Wednesday, joining a widespread work stoppage by civil servants demanding overdue salaries from the Hamas-led government.

About 30 workers joined dozens of other striking civil servants, holding up banners that said, "We want our salaries, we have a right to feed our children."

Although the protesters were supporters of the rival Fatah party, the work stoppage threatened to embarrass Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, a top Hamas official. Hamas leaders oppose the strike, claiming it is politically charged and orchestrated by Fatah.

Fatah, which ruled Palestinian politics for decades until Hamas overwhelmingly won legislative elections early this year, still dominates labor unions and security forces.

The strike, which began September 2, has been lukewarm in Gaza, a Hamas stronghold, though several thousand security men rampaged in downtown Gaza City on Tuesday to demand their salaries.

The strikes have been more popular in the West Bank, shutting down schools and emptying out hospitals. In some places, the strikes have been enforced by gunmen aligned with Fatah.

The Hamas-led government has not been able to pay the salaries of 165,000 civil servants since it came to power in March, giving them small, sporadic stipends instead.

International donors cut off aid to the government, because Hamas, which calls for the destruction of Israel, has refused to renounce violence and recognize its neighbor.