Nablus – The Palestinian Working Woman Society for Development (PWWSD) held a discussion seminar in Nablus about Social Security Law, in cooperation with the Palestinian Nongovernmental Organization Network (PNGO). The event welcomed about 100 participants, including male and female workers, representatives from private sector and civil society institutions, lawyers and jurists, human rights and legal institutions, academics, PNGO Coordinator Munjed Abu Jeish, and Mahmoud Ziyadeh, a representative from the Federation of Independent Unions.
Agricultural Development Association (PARC) Director, Dirar Omar, welcomed the attendees and showed his gratitude for their response to the event, he then highlighted unjust items in the social security law, and noted the significance of reopening the law for discussion as part of the government’s responsibility.
Samar Hawash, PWWSD Women Empowerment Program Coordinator, talked about the importance of suspending the social security law, and putting it up for discussion. As the law is a historic and national demand for all workers, and its significance lies in its contribution to the community’s stability and peace, as well as providing a decent life and dignity for citizens. However, the law’s current form does not meet the requirements for decent life, especially with the hasty amendments it received in such a short amount of time, in addition to the law’s particular effects on women’s lives.
Abu Jeish noted that the social security law is a Palestinian demand provided by Basic Palestinian Law. He then highlighted many critiques of the social security system, whether with its structure that was hastily thought out despite the forming of a national committee, or with its contents where the government is not a guarantor for the law, which would affect the function of social security fund. In addition to the main problems and the suggested amendments to many items, most notably the need to redistribute the contribution rates of business owners and workers in a way that guarantees raising business owners’ contribution rates, as the current rates stated in the law are unjust, which negatively affects the worker pension rates and other worker benefits. Abu Jeish also demanded changing the benefit coefficient to 2% for every year applied to the total rate. He also addressed the Supplementary Old-Age Retirement System, which the current legal text designates to be administered independently with an independent fund, separate from the social security fund. He stressed his suspicion about this separate fund; due to the vague terminology used, and noted the importance of making it optional. He highlighted more unjust items in the law including salary eligibility for natural death, eligible inheritors, and other items.
On the other hand, Mahmoud Ziyadeh noted that the aim of social security is to distribute income among people in a way that guarantees decent living for all citizens, which the law lacks in its current form only benefiting working groups. Whereas the scope of implementation covers old-age, disability, and natural death insurance, in addition to work injury insurance and maternity insurance. However, the law states that illness insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance, and family allowances are to be implemented gradually and in stages according to regulations issued by the Palestinian Cabinet. This contradicts the state’s responsibility to protect Palestinian citizens and provide them with full decent living. He also criticized the hastiness of issuing the law, and called for creating a national plan involving various parties. He noted that the law coincided with gaps in supervision over the application of Palestinian Labor Law and Minimum Wage Law. He stressed that it is more pressing to address these gaps before issuing the social security law.
The event concluded with opening the room up for discussion. Participants demanded the suspension of the social security law in its current form, and reopening a national and societal dialogue regarding the amendments needed for it to achieve its aim: providing social protection and a decent life for the beneficiaries of the system and their families.