Hundreds of demonstrators including representatives of the Palestinian political parties, trade unions, NGOs and society sectors gathered on Wednesday outside the cabinet's headquarter in Gaza demanding a just social security law that preserves human dignity.

The demonstrators called to repeal the recently ratified social security law by the Palestinian Authority (PA). They noted that the law has to secure the basic human rights which concern the various sectors of the Palestinian society.

They believe that a work must be done towards achieving a serious dialogue where civil society and union frameworks of the Gaza Strip must be major parts of the dialogue to ensure access to a just and equitable law.

The demonstrators called to act against the law which has been misused to blackmail the working class and detract its rights, without providing the legally secured guarantees for the future.

They see that the recently ratified social security law is full of inequity and injustice especially with regard to the poor and marginalized. According to the demonstrators, the law involves many fundamental flaws that impede achieving the goals and objectives of the law. They said ''the social security law is most unfair of all the laws in force in Palestine,'' since it does not secure a dignified and decent life for the employees and workers and their families after many years of their work.
The demonstrators raised banners with slogans condemning the Palestinian Authority's approval of the Social Security Act No 6. The banners also included slogans calling to repeal and redraft it to serve the interests of the employees and workers. Moreover, they also included slogans calling for a serious community dialogue about the Social Security Act and demanding for an equitable law.

The Palestinian NGO's Network (PNGO) issued a statement calling to amend the social Security law. Palestinian NGO's Coordinating Body Coordinator, Aed Yaghi, read the statement. Yaghi, supports the demands of the campaign which includes 17 as following: State Guarantee of Security Act and the money of stakeholders, taking advantage of maternity leave from the moment of subscription extending for 6 months after giving a birth, as well as amending unfair contribution rate employees and stakeholders.

According to the statement, the law also includes calculating the natural death salary (since joining the social security system), calculating pension, and pension entitlement to the deceased subscribers. Moreover, it includes avoiding linking the subscribers pension entitlement to the marital status of the person to the optional system not mandatory.

The statement mentioned that the law must not prejudice the workers savings but it must give the Ministry of Labor the right to exercise its powers and put law in line with the each of the Palestinian legislation and international laws.

It statement also mentioned that the social security law must separate between establishment and implementation stages to ensure the integrity and avoid the conflict of interests, and must change the terms of pension entitlement in line with the pension law.

The statement called to ensure providing income in the case of layoffs, and avoid prejudicing and misusing the retirement system mechanism. The statement also called to ensure the uniqueness of the disability law, and the clarity of the competent court mechanisms. It called for a clear strategy for the implementation of the rest of the law benefits and determine the minimum for calculating the pension which is inequitable.

The statement stressed the NGOs rejection to the enforcing of laws and legislation that deepen the division and create different legal entities in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.