Published : 13-10-2017
Palestinian and Syrian employees are complaining of the unfair decisions and laws issued by the Syrian regime against them, saying that they have affected their living and economic conditions. After the outbreak of war, the employees have become unemployed or homeless due to their salary cuts by the regime. Many have been displaced from their homes, making them unable to reach their work, especially in the besieged camps or towns which prevent their people from leaving. Others have had to take an unpaid break from their jobs to be able to flee to neighboring towns to protect their families’ lives.
Muhammed says: “I was fired from my job in a public-sector company because of my absence, despite my pleas for mercy, in which I justified my absence, which was due to the outbreak of clashes in the camp where I was staying and the imposed siege on it by the Syrian forces, preventing me from leaving or entering the camp. However, this was not of any help.”
He added that his manager did not sympathize with his case, which is similar to that of thousands of Syrian employees. The manager responded saying that there is a rule which considers those absent for 15 consecutive days or 30 separate days without an acceptable excuse, as resigned. The same decision authorizes the manager and the administration to decide whether or not the excuse is acceptable before taking the decision to fire the employee. Therefore, an employee cannot be dismissed for being absent, but a decision must be made by the administration to fire him.
Engineer Soha applied for an unpaid break from her work due to the deteriorating security conditions in the area she lives and having to be displaced several times. She then fled to Lebanon to find safety and security, renewing her work leave yearly at the Syrian embassy in Lebanon.
Soha pointed out that an embassy employee told her this year that her renewal request has been rejected since 2016 and that she must return to Syria to demand another leave. When she asked why, the employee told her that a decision has been issue to disallow any Palestinian employee the right to delegate someone to take their position and that she must be present personally to be able to perform any action.
She added: "I am now becoming legally prosecuted for the embassy’s dereliction and not telling me that my two-year vacation renewal request has been denied since 2016. According to Article 364 if an official employee leaves without permission, he shall be treated as if resigned and prosecuted for leaving work as provided in Article 364’s penalties. The penalty can reach from 3-5 years as well as a fine. Exempted from the penalty, for one time, are those who return to service or placed themselves at the government’s conduct within three months of the public action against them.
Samer, a 26-year-old Palestinian refugee from Yarmouk camp, unofficially left his work after his resignation request was rejected, in order to migrate to Europe as a result of the tensioned situation in Syria. He pointed out that the suffering of Palestinian and Syrian employees in the public sector is not limited to the imposition of strict laws on them, but could prevent them from traveling abroad without the consent of the regime, which hinders their decision to take a leave or resign if they find a better job or decide to travel.
The Syrian regime had issued a number of tightening decisions on employees such as requesting public sector workers in all government institutions to fill out a data form on their military situation and service, where the decision entails the enrollment of most employees born in 1973 and above in training course at a Syrian army camp for a period of 10-15 days. This employee is then under the command of the army under the name "employee on demand." This decision applies to government institutions in a gradual manner, where the Directorate of Agriculture staff was the first to be targeted.
Palestinian and Syrian employees are complaining of the unfair decisions and laws issued by the Syrian regime against them, saying that they have affected their living and economic conditions. After the outbreak of war, the employees have become unemployed or homeless due to their salary cuts by the regime. Many have been displaced from their homes, making them unable to reach their work, especially in the besieged camps or towns which prevent their people from leaving. Others have had to take an unpaid break from their jobs to be able to flee to neighboring towns to protect their families’ lives.
Muhammed says: “I was fired from my job in a public-sector company because of my absence, despite my pleas for mercy, in which I justified my absence, which was due to the outbreak of clashes in the camp where I was staying and the imposed siege on it by the Syrian forces, preventing me from leaving or entering the camp. However, this was not of any help.”
He added that his manager did not sympathize with his case, which is similar to that of thousands of Syrian employees. The manager responded saying that there is a rule which considers those absent for 15 consecutive days or 30 separate days without an acceptable excuse, as resigned. The same decision authorizes the manager and the administration to decide whether or not the excuse is acceptable before taking the decision to fire the employee. Therefore, an employee cannot be dismissed for being absent, but a decision must be made by the administration to fire him.
Engineer Soha applied for an unpaid break from her work due to the deteriorating security conditions in the area she lives and having to be displaced several times. She then fled to Lebanon to find safety and security, renewing her work leave yearly at the Syrian embassy in Lebanon.
Soha pointed out that an embassy employee told her this year that her renewal request has been rejected since 2016 and that she must return to Syria to demand another leave. When she asked why, the employee told her that a decision has been issue to disallow any Palestinian employee the right to delegate someone to take their position and that she must be present personally to be able to perform any action.
She added: "I am now becoming legally prosecuted for the embassy’s dereliction and not telling me that my two-year vacation renewal request has been denied since 2016. According to Article 364 if an official employee leaves without permission, he shall be treated as if resigned and prosecuted for leaving work as provided in Article 364’s penalties. The penalty can reach from 3-5 years as well as a fine. Exempted from the penalty, for one time, are those who return to service or placed themselves at the government’s conduct within three months of the public action against them.
Samer, a 26-year-old Palestinian refugee from Yarmouk camp, unofficially left his work after his resignation request was rejected, in order to migrate to Europe as a result of the tensioned situation in Syria. He pointed out that the suffering of Palestinian and Syrian employees in the public sector is not limited to the imposition of strict laws on them, but could prevent them from traveling abroad without the consent of the regime, which hinders their decision to take a leave or resign if they find a better job or decide to travel.
The Syrian regime had issued a number of tightening decisions on employees such as requesting public sector workers in all government institutions to fill out a data form on their military situation and service, where the decision entails the enrollment of most employees born in 1973 and above in training course at a Syrian army camp for a period of 10-15 days. This employee is then under the command of the army under the name "employee on demand." This decision applies to government institutions in a gradual manner, where the Directorate of Agriculture staff was the first to be targeted.
