​​​​​​​ Panorama of the week... A wave of resignations is taking place in the Damascus government departments.

 Over the past week, Arab newspapers have covered resignations in the departments of the Damascus government and warnings of a social explosion.

 Resignations and leaks threaten the public sector in Daraa

 Beginning with the Syrian issue, Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper said: “The Syrian employee complains as his salary does not give him enough, and at the same time he is not allowed to leave work to search for other means of livelihood, amidst an exorbitant price that has dominated all aspects of life in Syria, according to conversations with public sector employees in Daraa.

 The low salary - says an employee in the public sector in Daraa - barely exceeds 27 US dollars, given that the average salary is 130,000 Syrian pounds.  At the same time, the employee who leaves his work for a period exceeding 15 days faces a penalty of up to 3-5 years in prison, and a fine equivalent to the annual salary, which is stipulated in Article 364 of the Penal Code.

 He added, "The only door open to the employee is resignation. This has become almost impossible, and requires mediation and bribery, which may sometimes reach about 3 million Syrian pounds."

 During this year, Daraa governorate witnessed an unprecedented wave of resignations, in a manner similar to a mass flight from official circles, which put the public sector in Daraa in face of complete collapse, if this wave continues at the same pace.

 An employee of the Directorate of Education in Daraa told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The directorate receives more than 10 resignation requests per day, all of which are rejected.  due to the lack of an alternative.” She added, “I can confirm that the number of male and female teachers submitting their resignation requests exceeded 200 during November of this year.”

 During our conversation with her, we interviewed one of the teachers who was reviewing what happened to her request for her resignation, as she said: “The salary is very meager, and with a simple calculation it is almost sufficient for transportation fees only… I receive a monthly salary of 120,000 Syrian pounds, while transportation costs me 85,000 pounds.”  Syria, that is, three-quarters of the salary, and therefore the resignation became necessary.

 Faced with this reality, the trade unions stand helpless and spectators at the same time, without the ability to take any action that would stop this collapse.

 During our conversation with a “government source” in the Finance and Banking Workers Union, he warned, saying: “These resignations and wholesale job leakage will inevitably lead to the emptying of official departments from their employees, which heralds a catastrophe that may eventually lead to the collapse of the public sector.”

 Many employees work in additional jobs, some of them in the private sector.  Where the wages are relatively better, and others are in shops, or drivers on public transport.”

ANHA