RAMALLAH, April 6, 2011 (WAFA) -Workers of the government health sector Wednesday organized a sit-in strike in front of the Palestine Medical Center in Ramallah calling on the government to meet their demands.

The workers are demanding better wages and salary increment retroactive to March 1, 2009. They also want transportation allowances and living cost-increases on the basic salary.

The strike came after a long wait for implementing former government promises agreed on by a special ministerial committee with medical and health unions and sponsored by the Ministry of Labor.

The protesters appealed to Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Minister of Health Fathi Abu Mughli, and Minister of Labor Ahmad Majdalani to meet their demands

Majdalani, who is in charge of the dialogue committee with the unions, said that the dialogue cannot continue with health unions as long as they escalate their acts.

He said the government considered the escalation illegal.

However, the head of health union, Osama Najjar, stressed that the strike was legal.

Y.Y./M.A.