demands for payment of dues, job security, improved living conditions

Several Syrian regions are witnessing protests and demonstrations, most notably today in Deir ez-Zor and Damascus. The demands include the disbursement of overdue salaries and financial entitlements, job security, and improved living and productivity conditions. There are also demands related to education and the provision of basic services, amidst complaints about the continued delays in addressing employment and living conditions.

In the Deir ez-Zor countryside, health sector employees in the town of Jadid Akidat appealed to the relevant authorities to address their situation after their salaries were suspended for more than eight months, despite their continued provision of healthcare services to citizens. They demanded the disbursement of their dues and an end to the delays, which have directly impacted their living conditions.

Similarly, workers and employees of the Al-Hassan municipality in the Deir ez-Zor countryside demanded the payment of their salaries, which have been delayed for more than eight months. Workers expressed the extent of the financial pressures they face as a result of the continued loss of their income.

In the town of Gharanij, also in the eastern Deir ez-Zor countryside, municipal workers expressed their discontent with the delay in their salaries for more than eight months, demanding the payment of their outstanding dues and an end to the waiting period that has burdened the workers and their families.

These actions reflect a broader crisis affecting workers in service institutions. In addition to the payment of overdue wages, employees are demanding the regularization of their employment status and the permanent employment of those whose situations remain precarious, guaranteeing them a regular income and clear job rights.

In Damascus, farmers and agricultural workers from southern Syria moved their protests to the Ministry of Agriculture building. There, they called for urgent measures to support the agricultural sector, protect local produce, secure fair markets, reduce taxes and fees on production inputs, and provide subsidies for fuel used to operate agricultural machinery and engines.

The farmers' actions come amidst rising production costs and declining returns that cover expenses. According to the protesters, this threatens to further deteriorate agricultural activity and discourage some farmers from cultivating their land, thus exacerbating pressures on food security.

In another development, residents of the Al-A'ideen Street area in the Hattin Palestinian refugee camp in the Barzeh district of Damascus held a protest demanding the preservation of their children's education following the closure of the UNRWA-run Lubya School.

The residents rejected the transfer of their children to government schools in the Barzeh housing complex for evening classes, arguing that the distance, the need to cross busy main roads, and the transportation costs impose additional burdens and risks on the children and their families.

The protesters demanded that a school be provided near the camp or that safe transportation be provided at UNRWA's expense, emphasizing that guaranteeing children's right to education must be accompanied by providing them with a safe and suitable learning environment.

ANHA