ICSPR IS SURPRISED BY THE ARBITRARY AND ILLEGAL MEASURES ISSUED BY AL AZHAE UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION AGAINST ITS EMPLOYEES UNION

The International Commission to Support the Palestinians Rights (ICSPR) followed with deep concern the illegal measures of Al Azhar university administration, headed with its Board of Trustees, to freeze the work of the university employees union, suspend its members and refer them to an investigation committee formed by a decision of the University Chief.

It is worth mentioning that the university Board of Trustees conducted these measures after the employees union workers storm the headquarter of the Board of Trustees, carrying slogans accusing the Board of corruption and in the frame of its protests series against disrupting the agreement between the union and the Board which included a number of basic labor demands and rights.

ICSPR believes that what the university did in dealing with the current situation. These decisions will not result in fixing the situation and will not establish appropriate condition to logical and just solution. ICSPR sees that the University and its Board of Trustees have the responsibilities to carry human rights value and care about maintaining these values.

  * ICSPR considers that the university decisions violate the right to form unions guaranteed by Article 26 of the Palestinian Basic Law and Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that everyone has the right to belong to unions.

 * ICSPR sees that these decisions would undermine the rights of the workers and the students future and put all them in unsuitable conditions.

 * ICSPR urges the university administration to reserve its decisions and find alternatives to fix the situation based on sincere negotiation with the workers union.